Tag: the met

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! 

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at an interesting word (𓂋𓐍𓏏 – rḫt) that has many meanings depending on its determinative hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃! The determinative symbol is the last symbol in a word 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁 that helps to summarize the meaning of the whole word 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁! 

In the context of the inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, this word 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁 means “acquaintance 𓂋𓐍𓏏” and the full inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 is the title of “King’s Acquaintance 𓇓𓂋𓐍𓏏.” In the title, the determinative in the word “acquaintance” is not written! Usually, when you see 𓂋𓐍𓏏 on its own without a determinative, it means “list 𓂋𓐍𓏏.” 

However, just like any language, simple small words can act as the root of bigger words or phrases! Pay attention to the determinatives at the end of some of these words and how they can relate to each other in some way! Let’s take a look at some of them: 

𓂋𓐍𓏏 – List

𓂋𓐍𓏏𓂝 – To Wash Clothes

𓇓𓂋𓐍𓏏 – King’s Acquaintance (Title)

𓂋𓐍𓏏𓏛 – Female Friend, Female Acquaintance

𓂋𓐍𓏏𓏛 – Knowledge, Number, Amount 

𓂋𓐍𓏏𓏛𓏦 – Knowledge, Number, Amount, List (notice how this version has two determinatives – the “𓏦” is making it plural)

𓂋𓐍𓏏𓐍𓏏𓏛𓏜 – The Wise

𓂋𓐍𓏏𓎟𓏏 – More, Most

Let’s breakdown the symbols:

The “mouth 𓂋” symbol functions most commonly as a uniliteral phonogram and is used to represent the sound “r.” It can also be used as an ideogram for the word “mouth 𓂋𓏺.” 

The “placenta or sieve 𓐍” symbol is a uniliteral phonogram and is associated with the sound “ḫ.” This symbol is actually considered “unclassified” because Egyptologists actually don’t know what it exactly represents! 

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!