Category: Reading Hieroglyphs

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at a very popular word that appears a lot in ancient Egyptian writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥! The word “𓄤𓆑𓂋/𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏” translates to “beautiful,” “perfect,” or “good” and can be used not only in titles such as “𓊹𓄤 Perfect God” or names 𓂋𓈖𓏦 such as “Nefertiti 𓄤𓄤𓄤𓄤𓄤𓇋𓏏𓈖𓇳𓄤𓇍𓍘𓏻𓁗,” but also in various words or phrases too! 

In Middle Egyptian there are a couple of ways to write “beautiful,” “perfect,” or “good:” 

𓄤 – the hieroglyphic symbol “nfr” (nefer) can be used on its own to represent the word. 

𓄤𓆑𓂋 – this would also be pronounced as “nfr” (nefer) as the sounds by the uniliteral phonograms would not be repeated. 

𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏 – this would be pronounced as “nfrt,” (neferet) as this is the female form of the word! This is the one that is in my picture! 

When determinatives are used, the meaning of this word can change so be careful! “𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓁐” with the woman determinative means “beautiful woman” while “𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒” with the cow determinative means cow! Determinatives can totally change the meaning of the word! 

Let’s break down the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Since the horned viper 𓆑 is pointing to the right, we will start reading from the right! 

The “heart and windpipe 𓄤” symbol is a triliteral phonogram that represents the sound “nfr” which in modern times we pronounce like “nefer.”

The “horned viper 𓆑” functions as a uniliteral phonogram and represents the sound “f.” In other words, it can function as a determinative. As a stand-alone symbol, it can also mean he/his. 

The “ mouth – 𓂋” is a uniliteral phonogram for the sound “r” and can be an ideogram for the word “mouth 𓂋𓏺.” 

The “flat loaf of bread 𓏏” is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound “t.” It also functions as the ideogram for the word “bread 𓏏𓏺” and can be used to make words feminine!

Lets’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be looking at a symbol that is used a lot in hieroglyphic writing 𓏟𓏛𓏥 and inscriptions 𓎘𓅱𓎖. There are multiple uses for the “vulture 𓅐,” hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃, so let’s get started! 

The “vulture 𓅐” hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃 is usually a triliteral phonogram and represents the sounds “mjt/mwt.” In modern times, we infer that this would be pronounced like “mut.” However, the “vulture 𓅐” can also represent the sounds “mt” or “mjjwt” as well.

The “vulture 𓅐” is also used as a determinative in the word for “vulture 𓈖𓂋𓅐,” and any words that have a root of “nr.” 

One of the more popular uses for the “vulture 𓅐” is in the word for “mother.” There are multiple variants for “mother” in Middle Egyptian/hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪, so let’s take a look:

𓅐𓏏𓁐

𓅐𓏏𓏏𓁐

𓅐𓏏

𓅐𓅆𓆇

𓅐𓏏𓐎

𓅐𓏏𓁐𓅆

All of these words would be pronounced like “mut,” despite the fact that some have differing symbols! However, even with spelling differences, all of the symbols will still write out “mut!”

The word for “mother” also appears in royal titles: 

𓇓𓅐 – King’s Mother 

𓅐𓏏𓊹 – God’s Mother (can be in reference to the mother of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻, or to the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Isis 𓊨𓏏𓁥)

The word for “mother” also appears in names 𓂋𓈖𓏦: 

𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑 – Duamutef (jackal headed Son of Horus that guarded the stomach. His name 𓂋𓈖 means “He Who Worships His Mother.”)

𓌢𓈖𓅐 / 𓌢𓈖𓅐𓀼 – Senemut (Hatshepsut’s most trusted advisor. His name means “Mother’s Brother.”) 

For some reason when I am writing hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 myself, I sometimes get the “vulture 𓅐” and the “Egyptian vulture 𓄿” mixed up! A lot of the bird symbols look similar, which I why I think that happens to me!