A Voice Offering… 𓉓

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at the common funerary phrase: “A Voice Offering… 𓉓.”

“A Voice Offering… 𓉓” is a composite hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃, which is a single hieroglyphic symbol that is actually a combination of multiple symbols! The individual symbols do not lose their phonetic meaning when they become the composite hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃, instead they combine to just make a multi-consonant symbol! Composite hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 can be phonograms, ideograms, or determinatives too!

While a lot of the composite hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are combinations of two 𓏻 symbols, “𓉓” is actually a combination of four 𓏽 symbols! I like to think of composite hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 as a math equation:

𓉓 = 𓉐 + 𓊤 + 𓏑 + 𓏊

Here is the symbol name, (and sound value in parentheses) designated to each of the symbols that are part of 𓉓:

𓉐 – House Plan (pr)

𓊤 – Oar (ḫrw)

𓏑 – Bread (t)

𓏊 – Beer Jug (usually a determinative like in this case, but can be hnw on occasion)

𓉓 would be pronounced like “prt-ḫrw.”

In terms of meaning, “𓉓” is classified as an ideogram (a single symbol that takes on the meaning of a full word) for the phrase “invocation offering” or “voice offering” and is a part of the standard offering formula that is seen on stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏪, false doors, sarcophagi 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭𓏪/coffins 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱𓏦 and other funerary equipment 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭.

Why are bread 𓏑 and beer 𓏊 highlighted in such a popular inscription that persisted for thousands of years? Bread 𓏑 and beer 𓏊 were pretty much the staples of the ancient Egyptian diet and they needed enough food 𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏔𓏥 in the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 too!

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