 |
 |
 |
Learning Egyptian Hieroglyphs - Lesson 1
Leaning Hieroglyphs I'm going to go through the book, "Egyptian Grammar" by A.H. Gardiner, and try to learn Middle Egyptian hieroglyphs. In this column, I will attempt to share what I learn as I go along!
Note that the Egyptians, when writing hieroglyphs, generally drew each hieroglyph in a square (or rectangular) area. Sometimes there might be one, two or more hieroglyphs in the one area. The secondary hieroglyphs were usually smaller than the main one, though a number of small hieroglyphs could be used instead.
Direction of Writing
Hieroglyphs could be read in a number of directions, depending on how the hieroglyphs are set out. It is usually easy to tell - you read into the face of the hieroglyphic animals.
For example, if the hieroglyph of the snake (or bird, etc) is facing to the right, you read the hieroglyphs from left to right... and vice versa! If there are two hieroglyphs in the same area, read the top-most one first, then the one(s) under in the correct direction.
This goes for hieroglyphs set out in rows or columns. Rows are, of course, read in the correct direction, and downwards... and columns are read across ways!
Phonograms The Egyptians used a mixture of signs to get their meanings across in writing. They did not just use an alphabet, like we do, but they used signs that were combinations of sounds (such as the Japanese use 'kanji', the Chinese characters which usually have meanings that are words, as well as a specific Japanese alphabet.)
Vowels were usually ignored, due to the fact that one hieroglyph may have different vowel sounds when used in combination with other letters. The singular form of a word might change vowel sounds when it becomes the plural!
The Egyptians used:
Alphabet Here is the Egyptian alphabet:
Transliteration Since vowels were not usually written, two signs could be pronounced in a range of different ways. For example,
But remember - it is unknown how the words were actually said - we don't know where the vowels were placed! Biliteral and triliteral words are written, except for when they are near similarly pronounced uniliterals. For instance,
Semi-vowels
If
Weak Consonants
* Note, it seems that
Absence of the Article Middle Egyptian didn't have an equivalent of the English article in their writings. For example,
Vocabulary
Exercise Try to translate the following in hieroglyphs, with transliteration sounds (in the same order of the English, unless otherwise specified by the small numerals, or specified previously in the lesson or vocabulary):
1.To another place To Ptah 2.Another 3.thing 1is here 4.In this name 5.2Ptah 1is there in this place 6.Together with another name 7.A 2thing 1is in this place 8.2Ptah 1speak(s) in respect of this thing
|
)
)
)
is consonantal y-mn, not consonantal y-mn-n.
(name) could be 'the name', 'a name', or just simply 'name'! The Egyptian equivalent of 'a' and 'the' came later on in Middle Egyptian, but was really only used regularly in Late Egyptian writing.
