Category: Reading Hieroglyphs

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Yesterday 𓋴𓆑𓇳 we looked at one word for “Eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛” and today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at the other word for “Eternity – 𓆖.”

“Time” is such a complex concept; in our modern view, time is linear with the past at one end and the future at the other end. The present time is viewed as in between the past and future. In ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, time was viewed as both linear and cyclical. 

Here’s how “eternity” was expressed in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪: 

𓆖 – Eternity (linear)

𓎛𓇳𓎛 – Eternity (cyclical)

Linear eternity, represented by 𓆖, is the concept which represents that all of the things that came about at the time of creation (sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯 is above the land 𓇾𓇾, Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 flowing South 𓇔𓅱𓏏 to North 𓎔𓏏, sun 𓇳𓏺 rising in the East 𓋁𓃀𓏏𓏭 and setting in the West 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊, etc) would continue on as is for all 𓎟 eternity 𓆖. Cyclical Eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛, showed that all of the natural cycles like birth and death, the yearly seasons, would continue on for all 𓎟 eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛. 

Let’s break down the symbols for Eternity 𓆖 (pronounced like “ḏt”):

The “cobra 𓆓” is a phonogram, which means that it is a symbol that represents sounds, and is usually part of a larger word! The cobra 𓆓 is a uniliteral sign, so it represents just one consonant. It represents the sound “ḏ” which would almost sound like a “j” when pronounced.

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.”

The “strip of land 𓇿/𓇾” symbols can both be used to write “Eternity 𓆖.” While both symbols have different meaning when not used as a determinative, in the case of “Eternity 𓆖” it is used as one! “𓇾” pronounced like “tah/t3” is an ideogram for land, earth and world and is a determining for “Eternity 𓆖.”  “𓇿” is also a determinative for “Eternity 𓆖” but also for desert and foreign land. It’s an ideogram for “island” and would be pronounced like “jw.”

You can read Part 1 of this post here!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at the word for “Eternity – 𓎛𓇳𓎛” in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛 was a concept central to ancient Egyptian religion and culture. Did you know that the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 actually invented the concept of eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛/infinity?

This way to write “eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛” is technically a measure of cyclical time. The proper way to write the word for eternity would actually be “𓈖𓅘𓎛𓎛𓇳” or “𓎛𓎛𓇳,” with the sun disc acting as the determinative. This means that the sun disc symbol would not be pronounced! However, 𓎛𓇳𓎛 is more aesthetically pleasing, so that is how the word is written in most inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥. Technically, 𓎛𓇳𓎛 would be pronounced like “nḥḥ” and is actually an abbreviation of “𓈖𓅘𓎛𓎛𓇳 / 𓎛𓎛𓇳.”

There are two 𓏻 very common ways to write “Eternity” – 𓎛𓇳𓎛 and 𓆖. The words for eternity (𓆖 & 𓎛𓇳𓎛) appear frequently in so many inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 – if you can recognize the words, you will be able to pick them out in any museum you visit! They do have slightly different meanings that I will highlight in a future post! Languages are so cool – the two words can mean the same thing when translated into English, but can be different in Middle Egyptian!

Let’s take a closer look at the hieroglyphic symbols! 

The “wick 𓎛” symbol is a uniliteral phonogram which means that it only represents one sound. The sound that it represents is “ḥ.” 

The “sun disc 𓇳” symbol is usually seen as an ideogram for “Ra.” The symbol “𓇳 – sun” can also be a determinative for sun, day, and time.

You can read Part 2 of this post here!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at one of the most common phrases you will encounter – The Offering Formula! The Offering Formula is found on all different types of funerary objects 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭 such as stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏪, sarcophagi 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭𓏦, statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪, and false doors.

The purpose of the Offering Formula was to allow the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 to partake in and accept offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦. These offerings could be either the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 making an offering to a god 𓊹 (usually Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭 or Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣) or the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 accepting offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 directly from family members. 

Here is the beginning phrase of the Offering Formula: 𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙. This translates to “An Offering the King Gives…”

𓇓 – King 

𓏏𓊵 – Offering (shortened version of 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦)

𓏙 – Gives

Let’s break down each of the hieroglyphic symbols! 

The “Sedge 𓇓” symbol functions as a biliteral phonogram and is associated with the sound “sw.” Most commonly, the symbol is used as an ideogram for the word “King,” which is associated with the sound “nswt.”

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 when placed at the end of the word! 

The “bread loaf on a mat 𓊵” symbol is a triliteral phonogram for the sound “ḥtp” and is also an ideogram for “offering slab” which is also associated with the sound “ḥtp.”

The “bread mold 𓏙” symbol is functions as a phonogram for “d” or “ḏj” and also as “rdj” in the word for “give.” 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission. 

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!!! 

Here we see an inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 with the symbols “ 𓆓𓌃𓇋𓈖.” This is a really popular introduction to an inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 and it translates to “Words spoken by… 𓆓𓌃𓇋𓈖.” “𓆓𓌃𓇋𓈖” is usually followed by the name 𓂋𓈖 of a god 𓊹 or goddess 𓊹𓏏. 

The “cobra 𓆓” is a phonogram, which means that it is a symbol that represents sounds, and is usually part of a larger word! The cobra 𓆓 is a uniliteral sign, so it represents just one consonant. It represents the sound “ḏ” which would almost sound like a “j” when pronounced. 

The “staff or walking stick 𓌃” functions as both a phonogram (in this phrase) and as an ideogram (for the word “ staff 𓌃𓏺”). 𓌃 is a triliteral phonogram symbol and represents the sound “mdw.”

The “reed 𓇋” is a uniliteral phonogram for “ı͗,” however it can also function as an ideogram for the word “reed 𓇋𓏺.” 

The “ripple of water 𓈖” is also a phonogram sign, and it is also uniliteral sign. The “𓈖” is associated with the sound of “n!” 

When put together, 𓆓𓌃𓇋𓈖 reads like “ḏd mdw ı͗n.” The word 𓆓𓌃𓇋𓈖, means “words spoken by…” or “speech by…”

What are some other words that are related to these? Let’s take a look! 

𓆓𓂧 – Say, Tell, Speak

𓆓𓌃 – Recitation 

𓆓𓂧𓏏𓏦 – Sayings

𓆓𓋴 – Self/Own

These hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are from the Chapel of Rameses I 𓇳𓄟𓋴𓇓𓅱. This chapel was originally located in the temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 of Seti I 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁣𓇌𓌸𓈖. Rameses I 𓇳𓄟𓋴𓇓𓅱 was old when he took the throne, and most of his monuments 𓏠𓏍 were either finished by or made by his 𓆑 son 𓅭, Seti I 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁣𓇌𓌸𓈖. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.