Discovering Writing: Learning Egyptian Hieroglyphs

Learning Egyptian Hieroglyphs - Lesson 4 (Part I)

by Caroline Seawright

Leaning to Read Hieroglyphs

Biliteral Signs

Here are biliteral signs with y as the second consonant:

my1

1Sometimes used to accompany or replace a simple m when used as a grammatical affirmative.

With ` as the second consonant:

kh` kh`

With w as the second consonant:

nw (rarely also for yn)

hw (rare)

shw shw

khw khw

djw djw (later dw)

sw (old shw)

with b as the second consonant:

Triliteral Signs

The triliteral signs respondent combinations of three consonants and have a far more restricted use than the biliteral signs. These need only be learned when the occasion calls for them.

As with the biliteral signs, these are normally accompanied by phonetic complements. Two arrangements are frequently used: adding the third consonant only:

alt `h` `h` 'stand up, arise'

khpr khpr 'become'

sdj sdjm 'hear' adding the second and third consonants:

nfr nfr 'good, happy, beautiful'

`nkh `nkh 'live'

htp htp 'rest, become at peace'

Dependent Personal Pronouns

Dependent pronouns are less closely attached to a preceding word than the suffix pronouns, but can never stand as a first word of a sentence.

Sing. 1	wy	I, me	Or Varr. as in the corresponding suffix: , , , , etc
Sing. 2, masc	thw	Thou, thee	Later also
Sing. 2, fem	thn	Thou, thee	Later also
Sing. 3, masc	sw	He, him, it	Originally shw
Sing. 3, fem	sy	She, her, it	Early ; later also or ; Originally shy
Sing. 3, fem	st	See Reflexive Use of the Dependant Pronouns	Later writings , Originally sht
Plural 1	n	We, us	Rarely
Plural 2 *	thn	You	Or , later also or
Plural 3 *	sn	They, them	Or , later also written as or Originally shn

* Also used as suffixes

Among the chief uses of the dependent pronouns are the following:

As an object of any form of the verb, except the infinitive:

legs determinative man determinative hab alt k wy 'thou sendest me'

dja boat determinative dja alt n alt f sw 'he ferried him over'

After a number of particles like ysth 'lo', mk 'behold', shrug determinative nn 'not', ntt 'that', as well as the relative adjective nty nty 'which', the pronoun frequently serves as subject when an adverbial predicate follows:

rope determinative man determinative phallus determinative book determinative

mk wy m-bah alt k 'behold, I am before thee'

man determinative mk thw m bak alt y 'behold thou art my servant' (lit. 'as my servant') As the subject after adjectival predicate: nfr rope determinative nfr tw hn` alt y 'thou art happy with me'

(Note: tw here is for thw, and is to be carefully distinguished from the indefinite pronoun.)

Reflexive Use of the Dependent Pronouns

As with the suffix, the dependent pronouns are used reflexively:

man determinative face determinative one stroke cht one stroke rdy alt n alt (y) wy hr cht alt y 'I place myself on my belly' The pronoun st appears to be an old form of the dependent pronoun third singular fem, which has been specialised for certain particular uses, mainly as third plural 'they', 'them' or the neuter form of 'it'.