Beautiful, Good, and Perfect in 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!