Categories
Egyptian Artifacts Reading Hieroglyphs

Nefertiti’s Name and Titles in Hieroglyphs

Let’s read some hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ! 

On this relief from the remains of the Central Palace at Akhetaten π“ˆŒπ“π“‰π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“Š– (present day Tel el-Amarna), you can see Akhenaten π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“…œπ“π“ˆ–, Nefertiti π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“„€ π“„€ π“„€ π“„€Β  𓄀𓇍𓏏𓏭, and their daughter 𓅭𓏏 Meriaten π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“ˆ˜π“π“ praising the sun god, Aten π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³. The rays of the sun are depicted as hands giving the symbol of life, the ankh π“‹Ή, to the royal family.Β 

Nefertiti’s cartouche appears twice on this relief. Let’s look at the inscription on the left! Some of it is missing, but I am going to infer the missing pieces: 

π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“ˆ˜π“π“ – Meriaten (the last two symbols of her name are seen in the inscription 𓏏𓁐) (this is my guess)

π“ŒΊ – Beloved

π“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“ˆ– – Born of 

π“‡“π“π“π“ˆž – King’s Great Wife 

π“‡‹π“π“ˆ–π“‡³π“„€ π“„€ π“„€ π“„€ 𓄀𓇍𓏏𓏭 – Neferneferuaten Nefertiti

π“‹Ήπ“˜ – May She Live! 

𓆖 – Everlasting (eternity)

π“Ž›π“‡³π“Ž› – Eternity

So all together, the inscription reads: β€œMeriaten, born of the beloved King’s Great Wife Neferneferuaten Nefertiti, May she live for everlasting eternity.” 

Nefertiti’s cartouche reads β€œNeferneferuaten Nefertiti” which pretty much translates to β€œBeauty is the Beauties of Aten, the beautiful one has come.” β€œπ“„€β€ is a triliteral phonogram and translates to β€œnfr” (pronounced nefer) which means beauty or beautiful. This is actually the shorthand way to write β€œbeautiful,” and the other  way it appears in inscriptions π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ is fully spelled out as β€œπ“„€π“†‘π“‚‹β€ – it’s still pronounced the same though as β€œπ“†‘ = f” and β€œπ“‚‹ = r.” 

Above her cartouche on the left side of the relief you can see her title β€œKing’s Great Wife” π“‡“π“π“π“ˆž – (ancient Egyptians had no word for queen). Pharaohs 𓉐𓉻π“₯ also usually had multiple wives, so this title denoted the β€œfavorite” wife. 

While both of the following words – 𓆖 and π“Ž›π“‡³π“Ž› mean the word β€œeternity,” a lot of times they are seen together on inscriptions π“Ÿπ“›π“₯! It would be silly to say β€œeternity eternity,” so Egyptologists translate this phrase as β€œπ“†–π“Ž›π“‡³π“Ž› Everlasting Eternity.” 

This relief is presently located at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology at UCL, London.