Recumbent Jackal on Shrine Hieroglyph

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳, we are going to look at my favorite hieroglyphic symbol: Anubis 𓃣! So out of all 700+ symbols, this symbol of Anubis on a shrine 𓃣 has always been (and will always be) my absolute favorite!

There are three 𓏼 variants of this symbols: 𓃢, 𓃣, and 𓃤. The variants just mean that all three symbols could be used in the same way to represent the same thing!

The official name of this symbol given by Egyptologists is “recumbent jackal on shrine 𓃣” and it is used as both an ideogram and a determinative. 𓃣 is the determinative in the word “Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣” and also an ideogram for “Anubis 𓃣.”

When 𓃣 functions as an ideogram, the “𓃣” would be pronounced the same as “𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣.” The proper way to say Anubis in Middle Egyptian is “jnpw” (pronounced like “Inpu”).
𓇋 – j (i)
𓈖 – n
𓊪 – p
𓅱 – w (u)
𓃣 – Determinative – not pronounced!

The name 𓂋𓈖 “Anubis” is actually the Greek version of his name, not the Middle Egyptian name 𓂋𓈖, so that is why the hieroglyphs don’t match up with how we are so used to saying Anubis/Inpu’s name 𓂋𓈖!

Since this is my absolute favorite symbol, when I was a kid, I was so mad that I could not use this symbol as part of my name 𓂋𓈖 (my name written out is 𓈖𓇋𓎡𓍯𓃭𓀭).