Introduction
Egyptian writing is a sophisticated system that consists of over 800 characters called hieroglyphs. These hieroglyphs could be organized in columns or rows and could be read from either the left or the right, depending on their arrangement.
This unique feature enabled the ancient Egyptians to seamlessly combine their writing with art, blurring the line between artistic expression and written language. In this article, we’re going to understand the basics of hieroglyphs and how to read them.
I. Transliteration and the Alphabet
Transliteration, also known as transcription, is the process of converting one script into another. In the ancient Egyptian language, the hieroglyphs in the alphabet are referred to as “unilateral” because they represent a single consonant. Additionally, there are biliterals and triliterals in the language, which represent two and three consonants respectively. The alphabet can be seen in the chart below.
| Hieroglyph | Transliteration | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
𓄿 |
3 |
Vulture |
|
𓇋 |
i, j |
Reed leaf |
|
𓇋𓇋 |
y |
Double Reed Leaf |
|
𓂝 |
ʿ |
Arm |
|
𓅱 𓏲 |
w |
Quail chick, rope curl |
|
𓃀 |
b |
Foot |
|
𓊪 |
p |
Stool |
|
𓆑 |
f |
Horned viper |
|
𓅓 𓐝 |
m |
Owl |
|
𓈖 𓋔 |
n |
Water, red crown |
|
𓂋 |
r |
Mouth |
|
𓉔 |
h |
House plan |
|
𓎛 |
ḥ |
Rope |
|
𓐍 |
ḫ |
Unknown |
|
𓄡 |
ẖ |
Animal belly and tail |
|
𓊃 |
z |
Door bolt |
|
𓋴 |
s |
Folded cloth |
|
𓈙 |
š |
Pool |
|
𓈎 |
q |
Hill |
|
𓎡 |
k |
Basket with handle |
|
𓎼 |
g |
Stand for vessel |
|
𓏏 |
t |
Bread loaf |
|
𓍿 |
ṯ |
Tethering rope |
|
𓂧 |
d |
Hand |
|
𓆓 |
ḏ |
Cobra |
You may have noticed that the alphabet does not include any vowels. Although vowels exist in the language, they were left out in the hieroglyphic script. This omission creates challenges when it comes to pronouncing words
Memorizing the alphabet is beneficial not only because it frequently appears in texts, but also because Egyptologists organize dictionaries in this order. So, if you come across a word whose meaning you are unsure of, but know how to transliterate it, knowing the alphabet will help you locate the word more quickly instead of searching through the various types of “H’s” in a frantic manner.
II. Pronunciation
| Glyph | Translit. | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
|
𓄿 |
3 |
“ah” as in “yacht” |
|
𓇋 |
i, j |
“ee” as in “feet” |
|
𓇋𓇋 |
y |
“ee” as in “feet” |
|
𓂝 |
ʿ |
“ah” as in “yacht” |
|
𓅱 𓏲 |
w |
“oo” as in “blue” |
|
𓃀 |
b |
“b” as in “bed” |
|
𓊪 |
p |
“p” as in “pet” |
|
𓆑 |
f |
“f” as in “fish” |
|
𓅓 𓐝 |
m |
“m” as in “map” |
|
𓈖 𓋔 |
n |
“n” as in “neat” |
|
𓂋 |
r |
“r” as in “ready” |
|
𓉔 |
h |
“h” as in “hat” |
|
𓎛 |
ḥ |
“h” as in “hat” |
|
𓐍 |
ḫ |
“kh” as in Bach |
|
𓄡 |
ẖ |
“kyah” similar to the preceding sound |
|
𓊃 |
z |
“s” as in “sand” |
|
𓋴 |
s |
“s” as in “sand” |
|
𓈙 |
š |
“sh” as in “fish” |
|
𓈎 |
q |
“k” as in “kite” |
|
𓎡 |
k |
“k” as in “kite” |
|
𓎼 |
g |
“g” as in “girl” |
|
𓏏 |
t |
“t” as in “tape” |
|
𓍿 |
ṯ |
“tch” as in “chart” |
|
𓂧 |
d |
“d” as in “dog” |
|
𓆓 |
ḏ |
“dj” as in “sledge” |
III. Phonograms, Ideograms, and Determinatives
Phonograms are hieroglyphs that represent a specific sound (phonetic value). Using phonograms, scribes could spell out words. For example, we could combine the hieroglyphs for mouth, 𓂋𓏤 (r), and a water ripple, 𓈖 (n), from the alphabet above, and create the word for name, 𓂋𓈖 (rn). Independently, each hieroglyph represents a different idea, “mouth” and “water.” Together, they form an entirely new concept, “name.”
When hieroglyphs are used to represent these real-world things, they are called ideograms. For example, the hieroglyph 𓁷𓏤 (ḥr) represents a face. When it is used as an ideogram, it carries the meaning of “face.” When it is not used as an ideogram, it is used for its phonetic value ḥr.
A determinative is a hieroglyph that does not have a phonetic value so it is not transliterated. They are placed at the end of words and provide a general meaning of the word. For example, we may not know what the word 𓊪𓏏𓊪𓏏𓂻 (ptpt) might mean, but the leg determinative 𓂻 gives us a rough idea: movement. The type of movement could be walking, running, stomping, dancing, or something else. In this case, the word means “trampling.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, the ancient Egyptians developed a versatile system of writing called hieroglyphics. These hieroglyphs could be arranged in columns or rows and could be read from either the left or right direction, depending on how they were written. This unique feature enabled the ancient Egyptians to seamlessly combine their writing with art, blurring the distinction between artistic expression and written language.