𓅔

Representing two owls, the hieroglyph m (𓅓, phonogram for m) reduplicated.

Biliteral phonogram for mm, as in the preposition mm (“among”).


𓀀

Representing a seated man with both arms flexed, the rearward arm overlapping the body, essentially portraying a man in a generic pose to draw little attention to any particular action or quality other than manhood. Compare the Chinese character 人. This and other glyphs depicting men conventionally color the skin red; the hair is typically black, and the clothing white (sometimes with black outlines or details).

egy-hiero-color-men

(Old Egyptian) Logogram for rmṯ (“human, person”).

Logogram for .j (first person suffix pronoun).

(Late Egyptian) Logogram for wj (first person dependent pronoun).

Determinative for the relations, occupations, and personal names of men.

Determinative for the first person, as in jnk, .kw, wj.

Part of the combination A1:Z2, a logogram for rḥw (“comrades”) in certain personal names.

Part of the combination A1*B1:Z2, a determinative for groups of people, as in rmṯw (“people”).


𓀁

This determinative was originally two separate signs, one with a seated man putting his hand to his mouth as a determinative for eating, and one where the seated man’s hand did not touch the mouth but was depicted palm-outward as a determinative for speech, intellect, and exclamations. Later the latter sign was subsumed by the former. This and other glyphs depicting men conventionally color the skin red; the hair is typically black, and the clothing white (sometimes with black outlines or details).
During the Heracleopolitan Period, confusion of this sign with the seated man A1 (𓀀) resulted in the use of a variant of A2 with a standing man putting his hand to his mouth.

Determinative for eating and drinking, as in wnm (“to eat”), zwr (“to drink”), ḥqr (“to be hungry”).

Determinative for speech and exclamations, as in j (“O!; to say”), sḏd (“to recount”), gr (“to be silent”).

Determinative for thinking and feeling, as in kꜣj (“to plan”), mrj (“to love”).


𓅡

Originally representing the saddle-billed stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis). The stork is depicted with decreasing accuracy over time; the earliest instances come from knife and mace handles from the Late Predynastic Period and are very accurate. Starting from the 3rd Dynasty the bill of the hieroglyphic stork began to shorten. In later phases of the Old Kingdom, as the bird died out and disappeared from Egypt, the glyph became increasingly schematized, with a shorter neck and bill, a goose-like posture, and incorrect placement of the wattle on the neck or chest rather than at the base of the bill. This form then continued on mostly unchanged for the rest of Egyptian history.
The phonetic value of bꜣ is derived by the rebus principle from the glyph’s use as a logogram for bꜣ (“ba”).


𓃀

Representing a foot. Originally (during the 1st Dynasty) this hieroglyph was very short, showing little above the truncated foot; it later grew taller, but even during the Middle Kingdom it was frequently shorter than the full height of a line. This glyph was conventionally colored red.


𓊛

Representing a boat on water, typically with seat and steering oar. These boats occur with great frequency in archaic graffiti, pottery, and paintings. In Old Kingdom examples the glyph is usually written without the oar,

, and a variant with a high prow and stern,

, is preferred in Old Kingdom titles.

Logogram for ꜥḥꜥ (“boat”) in jmj-r ꜥḥꜥw.

(rare) Logogram for qꜣqꜣw (“kind of riverboat”).

Determinative for boats and ships, as in dpt (“ship”) or ḥꜥw (“fleet”).

Determinative for verbs involving navigation and travel by water, as in nꜥj (“to travel by boat”) or ḫdj (“to go downstream”).


𓉗

Representing a plan of a walled rectangular enclosure, with the smaller rectangle representing the roofed living quarters.

Triliteral phonogram for ḥwt, as in ḥwt (“verse”), ḥwtt (“quarry”).


𓊁

Representing a façade of a palace or tomb.

Used to mark the name of a king, initially by being written next to it; since the middle Naqada III period, it was instead attached to a rectangular enclosure that contained the royal name, particularly the Horus name.


𓄈

Representing the head and neck of an animal.

Determinative in ḫḫ (“throat”) and words involving activities of the throat, e.g. ꜥm (“to swallow”).


𓁹

Representing the human eye. Compare the Chinese character 目. The hieroglyph was given a somewhat elongated appearance with the iris partly covered by the upper lid. The outline of the eye was generally black; the sclera was white; the iris was often red (sometimes with a black pupil), but sometimes black. The phonogrammatic value of jr is derived by the rebus principle from the glyph’s use as the logogram for jrt (“eye”).

Determinative for words relating to sight and the eye.

Part of the combination U2:ir, a biliteral phonogram for mꜣ.

Part of the combination ir:ir, a logogram for mꜣꜣ (“to see”).


𓁶

Representing a male head wearing a wig, in profile, typically bearded. The style of the wig varies by time period; the earlier style, from the Old Kingdom, is longer. Sometimes there is no beard. The skin is conventionally colored red; the hair is black; in detailed examples, the sclera is white and the eye and other facial features are outlined in black.

Determinative for a number of words relating to the head or actions implying movement of the head.

Determinative in gwꜣ (“to pull together”).


𓃹

A crouching depiction of the Egyptian desert hare (Lepus capensis aegyptius), called sẖꜥt. The use of the hare as a phonogram for wn could derive from an ancient epithet of ‘runner’ for the hare. Compare the Chinese character 兔.


𓈖

A depiction of waves. The number of ripples varies, but the ends always slant down and can sometimes be longer than the other strokes. In less careful writing, the hieroglyph can be found simplified to a single horizontal line, sometimes rising at the end. Rarely, it can be turned on its side to stand vertically. This glyph was conventionally colored black, or dark blue, suggestive of silt-laden Nile flood water which watered the "black land" (kmt). (Compare the canal glyph 𓈘, where the water is most often green, and the pool glyph 𓈙, where the water was lighter blue or green.) Compare the Chinese character 巛.
The phonogrammatic value is possibly derived by the rebus principle from nt (“water”), but this word only appears in the Middle Kingdom. An alternative source could be the older nwyt (“swell of water”).

Uniliteral phonogram for n, as for example in the preposition n (“to, for”).

Determinative in ḏt (“serf”), by confusion with N17 (𓇿).


𓊃

Representing a door bolt used in double doors. The bulges in the center kept the bolt restrained between two fastening rings on one door; slid from one end to the other, it would pass through a third fastening ring on the other door and so lock it. When summarized, the bulges could be reduced to a pair of rounded dots. This glyph was conventionally colored red. The phonogrammatic value derives by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for z (“door bolt”).

Uniliteral phonogram for z; after Old Egyptian, this phoneme merged with s, so this glyph became an alternative phonogram for s.

Logogram for z (“door bolt; being; type of fish”).

Logogram for ḫm (“Letopolis”), by confusion with R22 (𓋉).


𓋴

A picture of a folded cloth. This glyph was conventionally colored red. The original word behind the phonogrammatic value s is unknown.

Uniliteral phonogram for s; after Old Egyptian, as s and z merged, it could also be a phonogram for old z.

Abbreviation for snb (“health”) in the formula ꜥnḫ wḏꜣ snb (“life, prosperity, health”).


𓆈

Representing an abstracted, universalized lizard; from the New Kingdom on a gecko is depicted instead. The phonogrammatic value derives by the rebus principle from the glyph’s use as a logogram for ꜥšꜣ (“lizard”).

Triliteral phonogram for ꜥšꜣ, as in ꜥšꜣ (“to be numerous”).

Determinative in words for lizards, as in ḥntꜣsw (“lizard”), ꜥšꜣ (“lizard”).


𓆉

Determinative in štw (“freshwater turtle”).


𓆊

Representing the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus). The reason for the phonetic value jt is obscure, but Gardiner suggests it could come from the word’s use as a determinative in ꜣd (“to be angry or aggressive”) as sound changes brought this word closer in pronunciation to jt.

Biliteral phonogram for jt in jty (“sovereign”).

Logogram for or determinative in mzḥ (“crocodile”).

Logogram for or determinative in ḫntj (an epithet of the god Set as a crocodile).

Determinative in words relating to crocodiles and their perceived qualities: ḥntj (“to be greedy”), skn (“greedy”), ꜥẖm (name of a demon, literally “Horrifier”), ꜣd (“to be angry or aggressive”), etc.


𓆋

Representing a crocodile on a shrine. Older variants lack the shrine and instead depict the crocodile as a cult image (fetish) or a mummified crocodile, with only its head emerging from a wrapping of bandages or a sudarium: 𓆍 (I5A).


𓆌

Representing a crocodile with an inward curved tail.

Logogram for sꜣq (“to gather or contract together”).

Determinative in sꜣq (“to gather or contract together”).


𓆎

Representing crocodile hide with spines. The Old Kingdom form is rounded, with the spikes rising from the curving top,

, while the later form that became usual in the Middle Kingdom shows a more squarish piece of hide with spikes at its left side. The phonogrammatic value of km possibly derives from the glyph’s use in jkm (“shield”).


𓆏

Logogram for wḥm-ꜥnḫ (“(cyclically) repeating life”).

Determinative in ḥqt (“Heqat”), and in words for frog: qrr (“frog”), ꜥbḫn (“frog”).


𓆐

Representing a tadpole. Because of phonetic similarity, and because Egyptian wetlands were overrun with them, the tadpole (ḥfnr) became a logogram for ḥfn (“hundred thousand”), representing underlying ḥfl.

Logogram for or determinative in ḥfn (“hundred thousand”).


𓆑

Representing a horned viper. The hieratic Treatise on Ophiology provides a description: ‘Its color is similar to that of the quail; it has two horns on its forehead; the head is broad, the neck narrow, and the tail thick.’ This glyph was conventionally colored yellow. The phonogrammatic value of f is derived by the rebus principle from the word for a viper, ft (Demotic fy).

Uniliteral phonogram for f, as in .f and f.

Used with unclear signification in the word jt (“father”).


𓆓

Representing an Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) in a position of rest. This glyph was conventionally colored yellow. The phonogrammatic value derives by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for ḏt (“cobra”).

Uniliteral phonogram for ḏ; since Middle Egyptian sometimes used for d, as the sounds had merged in some phonetic environments.


𓆕

Representing two cobras, a reduplication of D (𓆓), the phonogram for ḏ.


𓆗

Determinative in the names of goddesses and in the plural of nṯrt (“goddess”).


𓆙

Determinative for snakes and worms, as in ḥfꜣw (“snake”) or ḏdft (“snake, worm”).


𓆱

Representing a trunk or branch. Old Kingdom examples show a tree trunk with all of its knots and branches lopped off but the one at the very end. Later New Kingdom examples instead depict a branch with twigs. The phonogrammatic value derives by the rebus principle from the glyph’s use as a logogram for ḫt (“wood”).

Determinative in words for types of wood, things made of wood, or the woody parts of plants.


𓇅

Representing a highly stylized papyrus stem with umbel. Archaic forms of the glyph show a sheath of tall projecting leaves at the base of the stem as well as narrow outer leaves at the base of the umbel; occasionally this persisted even into the Old Kingdom and later. This glyph was conventionally colored green. The phonogrammatic value derives by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for wꜣḏ (“papyrus stem”).

Triliteral phonogram for wꜣḏ, as in wꜣḏ (“to be(come) green”).

Biliteral phonogram for wḏ by conflation with wD (𓎗), as in swḏ (“to bequeath”).

Logogram for or determinative in wꜣḏ (“papyrus stem”).


𓇯

Representing the sky with an architectural rather than mythological image, as a gigantic ceiling resting on four supports. The phonogrammatic value is derived from the glyph’s use in ḥrt (“sky”).

Triliteral or biliteral phonogram for ḥrj or ḥr, as in ḥrj (“being above”).

Determinative in words for the sky, as in nwt, ḥrt, pt.

Determinative in words for gates, by confusion with other glyphs, as in rwtj (“double gate”), hꜣyt (“portal”).


𓇰

Representing the sky with an uncertain object suspended from it, originally 𓇱 (N3), with the object possibly a broken oar or a drill U25, U24 with the sky as drill-weight. In later versions from the 18th Dynasty the object looks similar to the lower half of a broken scepter wAs.

Determinative for words relating to darkness, obscurity, and night, as in grḥ, wḫ (“night”), kkw (“darkness”), jḫḫw (“dusk”).


𓃭

Representing a recumbent lion. This glyph was conventionally colored yellow. The phonogrammatic value of rw derives by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for rw (“lion”).

(later) Uniliteral phonogram for r, sometimes representing /l/.

Triliteral phonogram for šnꜥ, through confusion with hieratic U13 (𓍁).


𓁐

Representing a seated woman wrapped tightly in a dress or cloak and wearing a long wig, essentially portraying a woman in a generic pose to draw little attention to any particular action or quality other than womanhood. Compare the Chinese character 女. Old Kingdom inscriptions often show this hieroglyph as slightly smaller than the seated man, A1 (𓀀), but in later times they are of equal size.
Conventionally, the woman's skin is colored yellow, distinguishing her from men (who have red skin). The hair is conventionally black; the robe is conventionally either white or (starting in the Third Intermediate Period) sometimes dark red.

Logogram for .j (first-person suffix pronoun) when the speaker is female.

Determinative for the relations, occupations, and names of women and words associated with the female sphere in general.

Part of the combination A1*B1:Z2, a determinative for groups of people, as in rmṯw (“people”).


𓇋

Representing a flowering reed, specifically the panicle of Phragmites australis. From the Old Kingdom on the flowering portion was often represented as striated. Joints in the stem were rarely depicted in the Old Kingdom but later became more frequent. The main (flowering or frond) portion was conventionally colored green, and the stem blue, so consistently that this glyph can be used to tell blue from green on polychrome inscriptions where the paint is discolored or faded. The phonetic value of j is derived by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for j (“reed”).

Uniliteral phonogram for j, including as the suffix pronoun .j.


𓄿

Representing the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus). The sharp “corner” at the back of the head represents a tuft of feathers sticking out; other details sometimes shown include a featherless area at the base of the beak and a lean, thinly feathered neck. This glyph was conventionally polychrome. The oldest depictions color the wings blue or grey, but later they become green; the glyph as a whole is polychrome, with a largely yellow head, and yellow or red feet. (Less careful representations are sometimes all yellow, all blue, or nearly all white.) The phonetic value of ꜣ is derived by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for ꜣ (“Egyptian vulture, bird”). Compare the Chinese character 鳥.

Logogram for ꜣ (“Egyptian vulture, bird”).


𓇌

Representing two reed panicles, as a reduplication of i (𓇋, phonogram for j).


𓏭

Showing two strokes, often diagonal y but sometimes vertical Z1-Z1, to represent duality. Compare the Chinese characters 二 and ⺀. This glyph was conventionally colored black. The phonogrammatic value of j is derived from its use as the dual ending, -j.

Logogram for -j (dual ending), originally replacing (for superstitious reasons) the device of writing the determinative twice in certain contexts.

Written in place of two difficult-to-draw signs.


𓂝

Representing the human forearm and elbow. In Old Kingdom depictions, the hand is flat in the vertical plane so that its full breadth is shown. Later forms show the palm slightly cupped upward instead, but all the fingers remain distinguished in detailed depictions through the New Kingdom. The most detailed examples of all tend to follow the Old Kingdom form. This glyph was conventionally colored red. The phonetic value of ꜥ is derived by the rebus principle from its use as the logogram for ꜥ (“arm”).


𓅱

Representing a quail chick. In semi-cursive hieroglyphic writing the head tends to be summarized as a hook. This glyph was conventionally colored yellow. The source of its phonetic value is unknown.

Uniliteral phonogram for w, as in the plural ending -w.


𓊪

Representing a reed mat or a stool of reed matting; presumably the original depiction was a mat. Ordinarily this glyph is taller than it is wide, and, if colored, colored green. Thus, forms from the Old Kingdom often show the details of the weave of the reeds in a bright green. From the Old until the New Kingdom it was occasionally stylized as a rectangle with a shaded left half and unshaded right half. The phonogrammatic value of p is derived by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for p (“stool, socle”).


𓅓

Representing an owl. This is the only bird hieroglyph that is depicted face-on, perhaps because of its distinctive gaze. The reversible hind toe is not drawn. The precise species of owl varied by time period; in the Protodynastic Period it was the pharaoh eagle owl (Bubo ascalaphus), and this was also used sporadically throughout dynastic times. Since the 3rd Dynasty the owl was more commonly a barn owl (Tyto alba alba). In hieratic the owl is long-eared (‘horned’) since the earliest times. Conventionally, it is colored yellow.
The phonetic value of m is presumably derived from some word (probably for an owl), but this word may have been lost in archaic times; numerous hypotheses have been put forward about what it might have been:
* A Proto-Egyptian *mwlḏ (“owl”), cf. Demotic ꜣmwlḏ, ꜥmwlḏ (“eagle owl”)
* An Old Egyptian *mz (“owl”), cf. Hausa múúǯììyáá (“owl”), Gwandara múǯìya (“owl”)
* An Old Egyptian *jmw (“owl”, literally “the mourner”), cf. Egyptian jm (“lament, mourn”), Late Egyptian jm (“name of a bird”)
* An Old Egyptian *mꜣ (“owl”, literally “the seeing one”), cf. Egyptian mꜣꜣ (“to see”)
* Related to Semitic *būm- (“owl”)


𓂋

Representing the human mouth. In careful depictions, there is a significant narrowing toward the corners, so that the lips recurve, and the upper lip is more curved than the lower. This glyph was conventionally colored red. Compare the Chinese character 口. The phonetic value of r is derived by the rebus principle from its use as the logogram for r(ꜣ) (“mouth”).


𓉔

Representing a building with no precise identification, sometimes called a courtyard, but possibly a plan of a rudimentary or temporary house, with an L-shaped corridor affording privacy for the interior. Old Kingdom forms generally show the sign taller than it is wide, but in later times it could vary greatly in proportions to fit the space available. This glyph was conventionally colored blue or black, likely representing mud brick, with the interior spaces filled in with white. Compare the Chinese character 广. The phonogrammatic value of h is derived by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for h (“courtyard”).


𓎛

Representing a lamp wick of twisted flax. The uppermost loop is often the biggest of the three. These wicks were generally made of a folded strip of fabric twisted tightly and soaked in unused fat. This glyph was conventionally colored green. The phonogrammatic value of ḥ is derived by the rebus principle from ḥꜥt (“wick”).

(rare) Determinative in tkꜣw (“candle, taper”).


𓐍

Disputed; a sieve and a human placenta have been proposed as possibilities. In the Archaic Period it was generally crosshatched horizontally and vertically, and this form sometimes appeared through the Old Kingdom. For most of Egyptian history through the New Kingdom a form with only horizontal striations was used. A form with diagonal striations instead was rare before the Libyan Period. This glyph was conventionally colored green. In some representations that lack striations, only its color differentiates it from other circular glyphs.

Logogram for ḫ (“placenta, child; to be a child”).


𓄡

Representing a mammal’s belly (with teats) and tail, viewed from the underside. The phonetic value of ẖ is derived by the rebus principle from its use as the logogram for ẖt (“belly”). The color of this glyph when painted greatly varied.


𓈙

Representing a lake or pool. Compare the Chinese character 𣶒. Detailed Old Kingdom forms cover the interior with vertical zigzags of green or blue rippling water: N39 (𓈜). A form with a few diagonal lines across the interior

 (𓈚) appeared in hieratic and semi-cursive hieroglyphs during the Old Kingdom but rarely appeared in hieroglyphs proper before the Late Period. Another variant adds lines, perhaps to suggest depth: N38 (𓈛). In general, the outline and ripples of the glyph are usually colored black or dark blue, the water green or lighter blue (compare the canal glyph 𓈘 and the ripple glyph 𓈖). The phonogrammatic value of š is derived by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for š (“pool, lake”).

Occasional biliteral phonogram for zn in zn (“to open”), by confusion with

, a variant of X4 (𓏒).

Determinative for bodies of water, interchanging with N36 (𓈘).

Occasional determinative for irrigated land, by confusion with N36 (𓈘).

Occasional determinative for stone, by confusion with O39 (𓊌).


𓈎

Representing a hill. Old Kingdom examples are fairly triangular. The glyph is usually colored (dark) blue, although white, yellow, and red are also found. The phonogrammatic value of q is derived by the rebus principle from the word for a hill, qꜣꜣ.


𓎡

Representing a wickerwork basket with a handle. Compare the Chinese character 𠀠, 其. In the Old Kingdom the wickerwork was often detailed as green or yellow horizontal striations, representing a basket made from a continuous spiral, with strips whipstitched together. In later times multicolored checkered patterns became more common. The usual color is green. The phonetic value of k is of uncertain derivation.


𓎼

Representing a ringstand for holding pots and jars. The Old Kingdom version most frequently had a flat bottom and top: W12 (𓎽). The curved form developed later, with rare examples first surfacing during the 6th Dynasty. The body of the glyph was conventionally colored red; the triangle in the center was conventionally white. The reason for its phonogrammatic value of g is unknown.

Logogram for or determinative in nst (“throne”).

Logogram for or determinative in dšrt (“red pot”), by conflation with W13 (𓎾).

Occasional determinative in jpt (“inner chambers”), by confusion with O45 (𓊒).


𓏏

Generally taken to represent a hemispherical loaf of bread, with the phonogrammatic value t deriving by rebus principle from its use as a logogram for t (“bread”). This glyph was conventionally colored black or blue, like 𓏙 X8 (generally interpreted as a conical bread loaf), but comparing those to 𓏐 X2 and 𓏑 X3 where bread is yellow, Nunn writes that the black/blue coloration raises questions about their identification as bread. He notes that 𓉞 O7 and similar glyphs have this glyph at the center, and because temples were symbolically built on "the primaeval mound of creation", black and blue could represent mud there and this could "explain why this 'loaf' X1 is always painted black or blue, even … in words for bread, where these colours seem out of place".

Logogram for jt (“father”) in jt-nṯr (a type of priest, literally “god’s father”).


𓍿

Representing a tethering rope. This glyph was conventionally colored green. The phonetic value of ṯ is of uncertain derivation.

Uniliteral phonogram for ṯ; since Middle Egyptian sometimes used for t, as the sounds had merged in some phonetic environments.


𓂧

Representing a human hand. This glyph was conventionally colored red. Compare the Chinese character 手 and Epigraphic Mayan / ("hand").


𓈌

Representing the sun rising or setting between two mountains. This sign first appeared during the 5th Dynasty. Compare the Chinese character 旦.

Logogram for ꜣḫt (“place of sunrise or sunset”).


𓈋

Representing two hills framing a wadi. Compare the Chinese character 丘. The hieroglyph was generally colored yellow or pink with dark spots to represent desert and rock, and sometimes its base was colored black or green to represent cultivated land. Archaic forms (and occasionally Old Kingdom and later forms) show the outer sides sloping instead of vertical. The phonogrammatic value of ḏw is derived by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for ḏw (“mountain”).

Determinative in mntj (“the two mountain ranges”).

Determinative for names of foreign countries, by confusion with xAst (𓈉).


𓈉

Representing hilly areas beyond the Nile River Valley. Compare the Chinese character 山. The hieroglyph was generally colored yellow, reddish, or pink with dark spots to represent desert and rock, and sometimes its base was colored with a black or green line to represent cultivated land. Archaic forms (and occasionally Old Kingdom and later forms) show the outer sides sloping instead of vertical.

Logogram for ḫꜣst (“foreign land, desert”).

Used in xAst:R12, a logogram for ḥꜣ (“the god Ha”).

Determinative for wild or desert places.

Determinative for names of foreign countries.


𓈀

This was originally three different glyphs: one representing a sandy tract of land (an island in the Nile or a sandy hill in the flood plain, N18), one representing a bolt of rolled-up linen (

, variant

), and one representing a roll of bread (

, variant X4 (𓏒)). The land glyph is generally colored reddish yellow and sometimes speckled to indicate sand.

(group-writing) The group N18:N21*Z1 constitutes a uniliteral phonogram for j, as in jrt (“Yareth”).

Determinative for deserts and foreign countries, as in ꜣḫt (“place of sunrise/sunset”), ṯḥnw (“Libya”), stt (“Asia”).


𓈍

Representing (probably) the sun rising behind a hill. The inner curve represents the hill, while the outer curve represents the rays of the sun. Old Kingdom examples show a semicircular form with four colorful bands of blues, reds, and greens surmounted by a halo of rays,

; Betrò suggests it may thus represent a rainbow rather than a hill. Allen suggests that it represents the sun rising above the primeval mound, the first earth to arise from the primordial waters at the time of creation. The semi-cursive style of writing this hieroglyph, which showed the sun’s rays as a series of projections instead of an unbroken arc,

, was sometimes carried over into ordinary hieroglyphic writing. Another form shows the arc unbroken but rays still visible,

. The phonogrammatic value of ḫꜥ is derived by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for ḫꜥ.

Logogram for ḫꜥ (“hill where the sun rises, rainbow”).

Logogram for ḫꜥj (“to appear, to rise”).


𓈐

Representing a road lined with shrubs. The depicted road tended to be curved in the early phases of the Old Kingdom, and such curved variants occasionally appeared even much later, when the most common form had become straight. The phonogrammatic value of ḥr is derived by the rebus principle from its use in ḥrt (“road”).

Logogram for wꜣj (“to fall into (a condition)”).

Determinative for words relating to roads, travel, position, and distance.


𓈇

Representing an irrigation canal. In hieroglyphic text, this glyph developed from a variant of N36 (𓈘) in the 11th Dynasty, which in turn had partly supplanted N22 (𓈆), its variants N21 (𓈅) and N20 (𓈄), and Aa12 (𓐚) in the 8th Dynasty. However, in hieratic, a glyph much like this one was already in use since the Old Kingdom. Ultimately, the glyph N23 remained in use through the 18th Dynasty, when it was largely again supplanted by N21 (𓈅) as a determinative for land.
As part of a determinative for time, this glyph instead developed from Z4B (𓐅), which became conflated with the irrigation-canal glyph.

Determinative for irrigated land, as in tꜣ (“land”).

Used in ra:N23, a determinative for time, as in tr (“season”), rk (“time”).

Used in mw-N36:N23, a composite determinative for bodies of water.


𓈆

Representing a sandy tongue of land. The sand is sometimes represented as speckles across the glyph. This was the Old Kingdom precursor to both N20 (𓈄) and N21 (𓈅).

Determinative in wḏb (“sandbank, shore”).

Determinative for land, as in ꜥḥt (“field”).


𓈅

Representing a tongue of land or perhaps a standard cultivated parcel (surveyed parcels for farming were usually shaped like elongated trapezoids, with the long sides parallel to the Nile). Compare the Chinese character 田. This glyph originally developed as a variant of the earlier N22 (𓈆). In the 8th Dynasty N36 (𓈘) came to be used instead as the determinative for cultivated land, and in the 11th Dynasty this developed into N23 (𓈇), but in the 18th Dynasty N21 became more widely used and took their place as the ordinary determinative for this purpose.

Determinative for land, particularly cultivated land near water, as in jdb (“riverbank”), tꜣ (“land, ground”), dmj (“town, harbor”).


𓈄

Representing a tongue of land. This glyph developed from the earlier N22 (𓈆). The phonogrammatic value of wḏb is derived by the rebus principle from its use in wḏb (“sandbank”).

Determinative in wḏb (“sandbank, shore”) and ḥꜣb-sd (“sd festival”).


𓇱

Representing the sky with an uncertain object suspended from it, possibly a broken oar or a drill U25, U24 with the sky as drill-weight. A later variant of this glyph that replaced it is N2.


𓇲

Representing the sky with water descending from it. Compare the Chinese character 雨.

Determinative for precipitation, dew, and fog.


𓇳

A pictogram of the sun. The circle or dot in the center usually does not appear in the full hieroglyphic form, which is a filled, usually convex circle colored red, often with a white rim. Compare the Chinese character and the modern astronomical solar symbol ☉.

Logogram for sw (“day of the month”) in dates.

Determinative for words relating to the sun, its actions, and related phenomena.

Determinative for words relating to time.

Used in ra:N23, itself a determinative for time.


𓇴

Representing the sun with a uraeus. From the 18th Dynasty.


𓇼

Representing a star in the form of a five-pointed starfish. Older depictions are thicker and have rounded ends, and they sometimes show the center as two concentric circles and give the arms crossbars. In color the glyph reflects the colors of the stars and so can be yellow, gold, red, and, less commonly, blue. The phonogrammatic value of sbꜣ is derived by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for sbꜣ (“star”).

Used in iaH:sbA, a logogram for ꜣbd (“month”).

Determinative for stars and constellations, as in sbꜣ (“star”), msḫtjw (“the Big Dipper, the Plough”).


𓇽

Representing a star 𓇼 (dwA) in a circle, symbolically representing the world of the dead, which was in the oldest times associated with the places where the sun and stars reappeared after having been invisible.

Determinative in dwꜣt (“the Afterworld”).


𓇹

Representing the crescent moon. Compare the Chinese character 月. Variants appear vertically, facing left

 or right

; another variant is N12 (𓇺). The phonogrammatic value of ꜥḥ is derived by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for jꜥḥ (“moon”).

phonetic determinative
phonetic determinative#English

Biliteral phonogram or phonetic determinative for ꜥḥ in wꜥḥ (“carob beans”).

Alone or in combination as iaH:sbA, logogram for ꜣbd (“month”).

Determinative for the moon, as in jꜥḥ (“moon”).

Determinative in šzp (“palm (measure)”).

Alternative form of spr (𓄭) in some inscriptions.


𓇻

A combination of 𓇼 (sbA) with the right half of 𓇹 (iaH), indicating half a month.

Logogram for smdt (“half-month festival”).


𓈘

Representing a canal bordered by banks and dikes. In detailed Old Kingdom depictions the water area is covered with zigzagging ripples,

. Sometimes the canal is shown curved rather than straight,

, especially in the Old Kingdom. This glyph partly supplanted N22 (𓈆), its variants N21 (𓈅) and N20 (𓈄), and Aa12 (𓐚) as a determinative for cultivated land in the 8th Dynasty, but in this function eventually changed into the form N23 (𓈇) in the 11th Dynasty. The water in the canal is conventionally green, or sometimes (lighter) blue; the outline is (darker) blue, perhaps representing mud brick. The phonogrammatic value of mr is derived by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for mr (“canal”).

Biliteral phonogram for mj, as in mjzt (“liver”), mjꜥḥꜥt (“tomb”).

Determinative for bodies of water, interchanging with 𓈙 (S) in early times.

Used in mw-N36:N23 or mw-N36, a composite determinative for bodies of water.


𓈏

Representing a mound of earth lined with shrubs.


𓆍

Representing a cult image (fetish) or a mummified crocodile, with only its head emerging from a wrapping of bandages or a sudary.


𓆇

Representing an egg. Compare the Chinese character 卵. As a determinative in pꜥt (“patricians”), it may have originally been a different glyph, a clod of earth. This glyph was conventionally colored white or yellow, reflecting the creamy color of ostrich or goose eggs.

(in hieratic texts) Logogram for zꜣ (“son”) by conflation with zA (𓅭)


𓆄

Representing a white ostrich feather. The phonogrammatic value of šw is derived by the rebus principle from the glyph’s use as the logogram for šwt (“feather”).

Biliteral phonogram for šw, as in šw (“Shu”).

Determinative in mꜣꜥt (“Maat”) as a substitute for C10 (𓁦).


𓆆

Triliteral phonogram for šꜣt, as in šꜣt (“talon; land of Shat”).

Logogram for pḏ (“span”) in the units of measurement pḏ ꜥꜣ and pḏ nḏs.


𓆅

This sign does not actually exist in hieroglyphic text; it is an artificial glyph used for transcribing hieratic text. It represents the hieratic version of a white ostrich feather H6 (𓆄) with two strokes at the side.

(Middle Egyptian) Hieratic form of 𓆄 (H6) as a phonogram for šw.


𓆃

Representing a bird’s wing. Compare Chinese 羽.


𓆂

Representing the head of the vulture G14 (𓅐, Gyps fulvus). The phonogrammatic value of nr is derived by the rebus principle from the word for vulture, nrt.

Phonetic determinative
phonetic determinative#English

Used as a cryptograph for rmṯ (“people”).


𓆁

Representing the head of a spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia).

Triliteral phonogram for pꜣq, as in pꜣq (“a type of cake”).


𓆀

Representing the head of a crested heron, although possibly originally of a duck, given that there is a word for duck mꜣꜥ, in which case the phonogrammatic value of mꜣꜥ could derive from that word.

Triliteral phonogram or phonetic determinative for wšm, as in wšm (“ear of corn”).

Triliteral phonogram, replacing pAq (𓆁), for pꜣq in pꜣqt (“fine linen”).

Phonetic determinative for mꜣꜥ, as in mꜣꜥ (“temple”).


𓅿

Representing the head of a pintail duck zA (𓅭).

offering formula
offering formula#English

Logogram for ꜣpdw (“fowl”) in the offering formula.

Determinative in wšn (“wring the neck of (a bird), offer”).

(in hieratic texts) Phonetic determinative for mꜣꜥ, by conflation with H2 (𓆀) when it lacks a crest.


𓆣

Representing a scarab beetle (Scarabaeus sacer). The phonogrammatic value of ḫpr is derived by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for ḫprr (“scarab beetle”).

Triliteral phonogram for ḫpr, as in ḫpr (“to come into being”).

Determinative in ḫprr (“scarab beetle”).


𓄎

A ligature of rnp (𓆳), ra (𓇳), and wp (𓄋), or equivalently of F14 (𓄍) and ra (𓇳).

Logogram for wp-rnpt (“New Year’s Day”).


𓆤

Representing a bee. The hind leg (drawn raised under the abdomen) was often omitted. The phonogrammatic value of bjt is derived by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for bjt (“bee; honey”).

Triliteral phonogram for bjt, as in bjtj (“King of Lower Egypt”).


𓆥

Ligature of sw (𓇓), t (𓏏), bit (𓆤), and t (𓏏).

Logogram for nswt-bjtj (“King of Upper and Lower Egypt”).


𓆧

Representing the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria).


𓆨

Representing the red-headed centipede (Scolopendra morsitans).


𓆩

Representing a bivalve shell. The source of its phonetic value is unknown.

Biliteral phonogram for ḫꜣ, restricted in Middle Egyptian to use in ḫꜣwt (“altar”).


𓆫

Representing a scorpion. The glyph as usually depicted lacks its tail and venomous stinger for superstitious reasons; this usage began in funerary texts in burial chambers but in time became standard. However, above-ground Old Kingdom examples typically show the scorpion intact,

. Some of the earliest (intact) depictions are shown in profile, with all the legs on the underside; later the legs were placed on both sides, representing a more top-down view.

Logogram for srqt (“the goddess Serqet”).

Logogram for the name of King Scorpion (reading uncertain).


𓆞

Representing an oxyrhynchus fish (Mormyrus kannume). The distinctive long snout separates it from other fish hieroglyphs. The phonogrammatic value of ẖꜣ is derived by the rebus principle from its use as a logogram for ẖꜣt (“oxyrhynchus”).


𓃾

Proto-Sinaitic:

Proto-Canaanite:

desctree

Phoenician script: 𐤀
Greek script: Α
Coptic script: Ⲁ
Cyrillic script: А
Gothic script: 𐌰
Old Italic script: 𐌀
Latin script: A
Runic script: ᚨ
Imperial Aramaic script: 𐡀
Hebrew script: א
Syriac script: ܐ
Pahlavi:
Inscriptional Pahlavi script: 𐭠
Inscriptional Parthian script: 𐭀
Psalter Pahlavi script: 𐮀
Avestan script: 𐬀, 𐬁
Nabataean script: 𐢀, 𐢁
Arabic script: ا
N'Ko script: ߊ
Mandaic script: ࡀ
Hatran script: 𐣠
Palmyrene script: 𐡠
Elymaic script: 𐿠
Kharoshthi script: 𐨀
>? Brahmi script: 𑀅 (see there for further descendants)

Ancient South Arabian script: 𐩱
Ethiopic script: አ

Ancient North Arabian script: 𐪑

Representing the head of an ox. Compare cuneiform 𒄞 and the Chinese character 牛.

Form of E1 used in the offering formula as a logogram for kꜣw (“oxen”).


𓂁

Traditionally considered to represent a piece of the Eye of Horus or wḏꜣt (literally “Intact One”) D10 (𓂀), and specifically the forward-facing part of the white of the eye. In Egyptian mythology, the eye was torn out and dismembered by Set, and subsequently pieced back together and restored by Thoth. The series of Egyptian fractional measures of grain would then be either directly based on the pieces of the eye or would have eventually come to be interpreted as such.
In fact, however, while the hieroglyphic signs certainly represent pieces of the eye, their usage as measures is uncertain, as the evidence mainly comes from votive cubits whose texts are extremely difficult to interpret; meanwhile, the hieratic forms of the signs are well attested as measures, but their earlier forms do not closely resemble pieces of the eye. The equivalence of the hieratic and hieroglyphic signs has thus become questionable, and the direct origin of the measures as pieces of the eye is not likely, although their later reinterpretation as such is possible.

Egyptian eye fraction

Used as a numeral for ¹⁄₂ in (mostly hieratic) measures of grain.


𓂂

Traditionally considered to represent a piece of the Eye of Horus or wḏꜣt (literally “Intact One”) D10 (𓂀), and specifically the pupil of the eye. In Egyptian mythology, the eye was torn out and dismembered by Set, and subsequently pieced back together and restored by Thoth. The series of Egyptian fractional measures of grain would then be either directly based on the pieces of the eye or would have eventually come to be interpreted as such.
In fact, however, while the hieroglyphic signs certainly represent pieces of the eye, their usage as measures is uncertain, as the evidence mainly comes from votive cubits whose texts are extremely difficult to interpret; meanwhile, the hieratic forms of the signs are well attested as measures, but their earlier forms do not closely resemble pieces of the eye. The equivalence of the hieratic and hieroglyphic signs has thus become questionable, and the direct origin of the measures as pieces of the eye is not likely, although their later reinterpretation as such is possible.

Used as a numeral for ¹⁄₄ in (mostly hieratic) measures of grain.

Determinative in ḏfḏ (“pupil (of the eye)”).


𓂃

Traditionally considered to represent a piece of the Eye of Horus or wḏꜣt (literally “Intact One”) D10 (𓂀), and specifically its eyebrow. In Egyptian mythology, the eye was torn out and dismembered by Set, and subsequently pieced back together and restored by Thoth. The series of Egyptian fractional measures of grain would then be either directly based on the pieces of the eye or would have eventually come to be interpreted as such.
In fact, however, while the hieroglyphic signs certainly represent pieces of the eye, their usage as measures is uncertain, as the evidence mainly comes from votive cubits whose texts are extremely difficult to interpret; meanwhile, the hieratic forms of the signs are well attested as measures, but their earlier forms do not closely resemble pieces of the eye. The equivalence of the hieratic and hieroglyphic signs has thus become questionable, and the direct origin of the measures as pieces of the eye is not likely, although their later reinterpretation as such is possible.

Used as a numeral for ¹⁄₈ in (mostly hieratic) measures of grain.

Determinative in jnḥ (“eyebrow”) and some other words relating to eyebrows.


𓂄

Traditionally considered to represent a piece of the Eye of Horus or wḏꜣt (literally “Intact One”) D10 (𓂀), and specifically the rearward-facing part of the white of the eye. In Egyptian mythology, the eye was torn out and dismembered by Set, and subsequently pieced back together and restored by Thoth. The series of Egyptian fractional measures of grain would then be either directly based on the pieces of the eye or would have eventually come to be interpreted as such.
In fact, however, while the hieroglyphic signs certainly represent pieces of the eye, their usage as measures is uncertain, as the evidence mainly comes from votive cubits whose texts are extremely difficult to interpret; meanwhile, the hieratic forms of the signs are well attested as measures, but their earlier forms do not closely resemble pieces of the eye. The equivalence of the hieratic and hieroglyphic signs has thus become questionable, and the direct origin of the measures as pieces of the eye is not likely, although their later reinterpretation as such is possible.

Used as a numeral for ¹⁄₁₆ in (mostly hieratic) measures of grain.


𓂅

Traditionally considered to represent a piece of the Eye of Horus or wḏꜣt (literally “Intact One”) D10 (𓂀), and specifically one of the markings of a falcon’s head found below the eye. In Egyptian mythology, the eye was torn out and dismembered by Set, and subsequently pieced back together and restored by Thoth. The series of Egyptian fractional measures of grain would then be either directly based on the pieces of the eye or would have eventually come to be interpreted as such.
In fact, however, while the hieroglyphic signs certainly represent pieces of the eye, their usage as measures is uncertain, as the evidence mainly comes from votive cubits whose texts are extremely difficult to interpret; meanwhile, the hieratic forms of the signs are well attested as measures, but their earlier forms do not closely resemble pieces of the eye. The equivalence of the hieratic and hieroglyphic signs has thus become questionable, and the direct origin of the measures as pieces of the eye is not likely, although their later reinterpretation as such is possible.

Used as a numeral for ¹⁄₃₂ in (mostly hieratic) measures of grain.


𓂆

Used as a numeral for ¹⁄₆₄ in (mostly hieratic) measures of grain.


𓂀

Representing the Eye of Horus or wḏꜣt (literally “Intact One”) in the form of a human eye with the markings of a falcon’s head. The vertical stripe represents the dark spot found beneath the falcon’s eye, while the spiral stylizes the feather pattern behind this spot.


𓊗

Representing a circular threshing floor covered with grain kernels. Sometimes it appears as two concentric circles, but more detailed renderings show tiny oblong kernels of grain in the inner circle and green markings on the outer circle. Late forms of the glyph render it as two short diagonal lines inside a circle. The phonogrammatic value of zp is derived by the rebus principle from its use as a determinative for a threshing floor, zpt.

Biliteral phonogram for zp, as in zp (“time”).

Determinative in zpt (“threshing floor”).

Used in zp:Z1*Z1, a logogram for zpwj snwj (“twice”) that also functions as an iteration mark.


𓍴

This sign does not actually exist in hieroglyphic text; it is an artificial glyph used for transcribing a hieratic character deriving from the convergence of the hieratic forms of Sn:n and sn. Compare the further simplified Demotic form of the character, or .

Used in transcribing hieratic signs into hieroglyphs in cases where it is not clear whether a given hieratic sign represents Sn:n (šn) or sn (sn). See 𓍲 or 𓌢 for usage.


𓅬

Representing a waterfowl of uncertain species, likely the same as that referred to by the word ꜣpd in its stricter sense, or perhaps simply an abstraction intended to represent a prototypical waterfowl (and therefore bird). Gardiner considered it the white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons), but only one existing example of this hieroglyph shows details that certainly establish it to be of this species, so this may be attributable to an idiosyncrasy of a particular scribe. Other authors instead argue that the glyph is a duck on the basis of Faulkner’s arguments regarding the original meaning of ꜣpd.
The phonetic value of gb is derived by the rebus principle from its use as the determinative for a kind of goose, gbb.

Determinative for kinds of waterfowl, as in ꜣpd, rꜣ, ṯrp, gbb.

(in hieratic texts) Determinative for birds and insects in general.

Phonetic determinative in various verbs: wfꜣ (“to discuss”), wzf (“to be(come) idle”), wdfj (“to be(come) late”), ḥtm (“to perish”).


𓁷

Representing a man’s face with a squared-off beard, one of the few hieroglyphs depicted in frontal view. Compare the Chinese character 面, 𦣻. The elements of the face tend to be somewhat flattened and exaggerated. Although the face is male, the skin is traditionally colored yellow, as if female, rather than the expected red; compare 𓂉, which is also often yellow. The hair is conventionally black; the beard is typically also black, but sometimes it is yellow as if it has been reinterpreted as the neck. The phonogrammatic value of ḥr is derived by the rebus principle from the glyph’s use as the logogram for ḥr (“face”).


𓎯

Representing a sealed oil-jar with tied ends, a later development of 𓎰 (W2).


𓎰

Representing a sealed oil-jar without tied ends. Old Kingdom forms of this glyph often omit the seal on top and sometimes show alabaster veining.
According to Fischer, since the Middle Kingdom the oil-jar with tied ends W1 (𓎯) has also been used in place of this glyph.

Triliteral phonogram for bꜣs, as in bꜣstt (“(cat-goddess) Bastet”).

Determinative for jar, as in bꜣs (“jar”).


𓎱

Representing an alabaster bowl used in purifications.

Determinative for alabaster, as in šs (“alabaster”).

Phonogram for ḥꜣb, as in ḥꜣbj (“to mourn”).

Determinative for feast, as in psḏntjw (“new-moon festival”), wꜣg (“wag-festival”).


𓏃

Representing three water-pots in a rack.


𓏅

Representing four water-pots in a rack.
Old Kingdom variant of W17 (𓏃).


𓏌

Phonetic determinative for ḏꜣḏꜣ, as in ḏꜣḏꜣt (“council”).

Phonetic determinative for qd, as in qd (“to build”).

Phonetic determinative for nḏ, as in nḏ (“to protect”).

Phonetic determinative for nḫb, as in nḫbt (“Nekhbet”).

Part of the combination nw:N35B, a logogram for m ẖnw (“in”).

Determinative for pot as an alternative to W22 (𓏊) and W23 (𓏋).


𓏛

Representing a papyrus roll, tied and sealed, showing the ends of the strings; a later development of Y2 (𓏝). Sometimes oriented vertically, Y1V (𓏜).

Determinative for writing and written things, as in zẖꜣ (“to write”), mdwt (“words”).

Determinative for abstract notions, as in mꜣꜥt (“truth”), rḫ (“to know”).

Logogram for dmḏ (“total”) (in mathematical books and accounts).


𓏝

Representing a papyrus roll, tied and sealed. Since the Middle Kingdom, the roll with tied ends Y1 (𓏛) has been used in place of this glyph.


𓌒

Aramaic: 𐡔 (š)

Classical Syriac: ܫ

Arabic: س (s)

Hebrew: ש (s, sh)

Representing an archer’s bow consisting of two oryx horns joined by a wooden centerpiece. Compare the Chinese character 弓. The phonogrammatic value of pḏ is derived by the rebus principle from its use as the logogram for pḏt (“bow”).

Biliteral phonogram for pḏ or (later) pd, as in pḏ (“stretch”).

Determinative for words relating to bows.


𓌔

Representing a composite bow currently not in use, thus showing the middle tied to the bowstring.


𓐑

Representing perhaps a part of the steering gear of ships.

Biliteral phonogram for ḥp, as in ḥp (“Apis”), ḥpy (“Hapy”), ḥpt (“steering oar”).


𓐟

Representing a lid. Since the Middle Kingdom, Aa18 (𓐠) has been used in place of this glyph.


𓐠

Representing a lid; a later development of Aa17 (𓐟).

(group-writing) The group Aa18:Z1 or Aa18 constitutes a uniliteral phonogram for s.


𓐢

Triliteral phonogram for ꜥpr, as in ꜥpr (“to equip”).


𓉐

Proto-Sinaitic:

Proto-Canaanite:

desctree

Phoenician: 𐤁 (b)
Ancient Greek: Β (B), β (b), ϐ (b)
Cyrillic: В, в
Old Italic: 𐌁
Latin: B, b
Runic: ᛒ
Aramaic: 𐡁 (b)
Syriac: ܒ
Arabic: ب (b)
Hebrew: ב
Pahlavi:
Inscriptional Pahlavi: 𐭡 (b)
Inscriptional Parthian: 𐭁 (b)
Avestan:  𐬠
(debated) Brahmi: 𑀩

Old South Arabian: 𐩨 (b)

Ge'ez: በ (b)

Determinative for buildings and, less commonly, seats and places.


𓌙

Proto-Sinaitic:

Proto-Canaanite:

Phoenician: 𐤂 (g)
Ancient Greek: Γ (G), γ (g)
Cyrillic: Г, г
Etruscan: 𐌂 (c)
Latin: C, G
Aramaic: 𐡂 (g)
Syriac: ܓ
Arabic: جـ (j-)
Hebrew: ג
Pahlavi:
Inscriptional Pahlavi: 𐭢 (g)
Inscriptional Parthian: 𐭂 (g)
(debated) Brahmi: 𑀕

Old South Arabian: 𐩴 (g)

Ge'ez: ገ (gä)

Representing a throwstick or, in its function representing foreignness, a club as a foreign weapon of war.

Logogram for qmꜣ (“to throw, to create”).

Phonetic determinative for ṯn, as in ṯnj (“where”).

Determinative in qmꜣ (“to throw, to create”).

Determinative for foreign countries and people, as in ṯḥnw (“Libya”), ꜥꜣm (“Asiatic”), nḥsj (“Nubian”).

Alternative form of 𓆱 (M3) as a phonetic determinative for ḏꜥ, as in ḏꜥr (“to seek out”).

𓆱

Alternative form of 𓊧 (P11) in mjnj (“to moor”).

Alternative form of 𓐨 (Aa26) in sbj (“rebel”).


𓀠

Proto-Sinaitic:

Proto-Canaanite:

Phoenician: 𐤄 (h)
Ancient Greek: Ε (E), ε (e)
Cyrillic: Е, е
Old Italic: 𐌄
Latin: E, e
Aramaic: 𐡄 (h)
Syriac: ܗ
Arabic: ه (h)
Hebrew: ה
Pahlavi:
Inscriptional Pahlavi: 𐭤 (h)
Inscriptional Parthian: 𐭄 (h)
Avestan: 𐬵 (h)
(debated) Brahmi: 𑀳 (see there for further descendants)

Old South Arabian: 𐩠 (h)

Ge'ez: ሀ (hä)

Representing a man with his hands raised on either side. This and other glyphs depicting men conventionally color the skin red; the hair is typically black, and the clothing white (sometimes with black outlines or details).

egy-hiero-color-men

Logogram for or determinative in qꜣj (“to be(come) high”).

Determinative in jꜣs (“to be(come) bald”).

Determinative for words relating to joy or happiness.

Determinative for words relating to mourning.


𓁑

Representing a seated pregnant woman with possibly a ritual knot or tie in her hair that may symbolise tightness that is to be released during labor.

Determinative for pregnancy, as in jwr (“to conceive”), bkꜣ (“to be(come) pregnant”).


𓁒

Representing a woman giving birth, in the posture that would typically be adopted by Egyptian women in such a scenario (crouching over birth bricks, though the bricks themselves are not depicted).

Determinative for giving birth, as in msj (“to give birth”), pꜥpꜥ (“to give birth”), etc.


𓄣

Representing a sheep’s heart in cross-section; the neck and protrusions represent the junctures of the arteries and veins. The glyph is typically painted red, sometimes with a lighter upper part. A variant form without any interior markings or exterior protrusions (essentially a simple oval) was often used as a determinative of ḥꜣtj in the Old Kingdom. Compare the Chinese character 心.


𓅃

Representing a falcon, variously identified as a lanner falcon or peregrine falcon.

(occasionally) Alternative form of 𓅆 (G7).


𓁓

Representing a woman giving birth, with the depiction of the child’s emerging head and arms seen in 𓁒 (B3) symbolically replaced by fennec skins from the hieroglyph 𓄟 (ms), itself used in various words relating to birth and children. In old examples the woman and the skins are found almost or completely separated.

(rare, in a single hieratic manuscript) Alternative form of 𓀂 (A3).


𓁔

Representing a woman breastfeeding a child in the usual posture (seated on the ground). Simplified version: 𓁕 (

).

Determinative for nursing or breastfeeding, as in mnꜥ (“to nurse, to suckle”), mnꜥt (“wet nurse”).


𓁖

Representing a woman seated on a chair holding a child in her lap.

Determinative in rnn (“to bring up, to nurse”).


𓁗

Representing a seated queen wearing a diadem and carrying a flower.


𓏲

desctree

Phoenician: 𐤅 (w)
Ancient Greek: Ϝ (W), Υ (U)
Cyrillic: Ѕ, У, Ѵ
Gothic: 𐍅
Old Italic: 𐌅, 𐌖
Latin: F, Y, U, V, W
Aramaic: 𐡅
Syriac: ܘ
Arabic: و
Hebrew: ו
(debated) Brahmi: 𑀯

A readaptation into hieroglyphs of the abbreviated hieratic form of 𓅱 (w). The hieratic form grows increasingly common from the 9th dynasty onward, whereas its hieroglyphic readaptation first becomes notably common during the reign of Akhenaten.


𓉿

Phoenician: 𐤃 (d)
Ancient Greek: Δ (D), δ (d)
Cyrillic: Д, д
Old Italic: 𐌃
Latin: D, d
Aramaic: 𐡃 (d)
Syriac: ܕ
Arabic: د (d)
Hebrew: ד
Pahlavi:
Inscriptional Pahlavi: 𐭣 (d)
Inscriptional Parthian: 𐭃 (d)
Avestan:  𐬛
(debated) Brahmi: 𑀥

Representing a doorleaf, in the form of a wooden panel with bronze flashing along one edge, terminating in two cylindrical bronze pins that turned in the hinge. Because this sign was usually accompanied by horizontal signs such as 𓉻 (aA), it was typically written in a horizontal orientation as well in order to better fill the available space.

Logogram for or determinative in ꜥꜣ (“doorleaf”).

Determinative in words relating to opening something, as in wn (“to open”), zn (“to open”).


𓊌

Representing a cut block of stone or brick. The dimension of the sign varies, and it may be written long like 𓈙 (S), with which it should not be confused, although it was often written shorter to distinguish it. The stone glyph conventionally colored either white (in many examples, representing a whitish stone such as limestone), or blue (in other examples, perhaps representing a mud-brick—as Egyptian scribes generally used a limited color palette that did not include grey or brown—or a block of dark stone such as basalt or greywacke).
Compare the Chinese character 石.

Determinative for stone, as in jnr (“stone”), ꜥꜣt (“precious stone”), dbn (“deben, a measure of weight”), ꜥr (“pebble”), ḏbt (“brick”).


𓊍

Representing a stairway, conventionally with four steps.

Logogram for or determinative in rwd (“stairway”).

Logogram for or determinative in ḫtw (“platform, terrace, terraced hillside”).

Determinative for stairways and stepped constructions.


𓊅

Originally representing the plan of a fortified brick enclosure with buttresslike projections. Very early this signification was forgotten and the glyph was reinterpreted as a wall. A horizontal variant

 is also found. Compare the Chinese character 囗.

Logogram for or determinative in jnb (“wall”).

Determinative for walls, as in wmtt (“fortification, bulwark”), snb (“to overleap (a wall)”).


𓊎

Determinative for words relating to ascent, as in jꜥr (“to ascend”), qꜣy (“ascent, high place”).


𓊖

Representing a round settlement, walled and divided by crossroads. Similar settlements are archaeologically attested in Upper Egypt since the earliest periods of urbanization, and this hieroglyph is also attested very early. In the Old and Middle Kingdoms the streets are occasionally found in a different orientation

, horizontal and vertical instead of diagonal; this is even more frequent in inscriptions of the Heracleopolitan Period and 11th dynasty. Compare the Chinese character 囗.

Determinative in names of settlements and inhabited places, as in kmt (“Egypt”), wꜣst (“Thebes”), spꜣt (“estate, farm”).


𓌡

Biliteral phonogram for wꜥ, including in the word wꜥ.


𓉺

Triliteral and logogram for jwn (“pillar”).


𓅨

Biliteral phonogram for wr, including in the word wr.


𓆛

Representing a fish with prominent fins, probably a Nile tilapia (jnt). Compare the Chinese character 魚 ("fish") and Epigraphic Mayan (ka, "fish").

Determinative used in the words for various fish.


𓐙

Triliteral for mꜣꜥ, e.g. for the word mꜣꜥ in mꜣꜥ-ḫrw.


𓀐

Representing a fallen man with blood streaming from his head. This and other glyphs depicting men conventionally color the skin red; the hair is typically black, and the clothing white (sometimes with black outlines or details). The blood is red. Some scribes reinterpreted or depicted the blood as an axe, with a red (wood) handle and white (simple stone) axehead.

Determinative for death, as in mwt (“to die”).

Determinative for enemies, as in ḫftj (“enemy”).


𓂻

Representing a pair of forward-facing walking legs. From the Old Kingdom (Dynasties 3–6) onward this glyph would sometimes include a kilt. This glyph was conventionally colored red. Sometimes the space between the legs was painted white.

egy-hiero-color

Determinative for movement, as in šmj (“to go”).

Determinative for lack of movement, as in ꜣb (“to stop”).

(Old Kingdom, when elongated) Alternative form of 𓏎 (ini).

Old Kingdom; when elongated; Old Kingdom; when elongated


𓀂

Representing a man sitting on his heel. This and other glyphs depicting men conventionally color the skin red; the hair is typically black, and the clothing white (sometimes with black outlines or details).


𓈗

A depiction of three ripples of water, identical in appearance to the glyph n (𓈖) written three times in vertical sequence. Compare the Chinese character 巛.

Uniliteral phonogram for m in group-writing.

Determinative for water, liquid, and activities related to water.

Used in mw-N36:N23 or mw-N36, a composite determinative for bodies of water.


𓀃

Representing a man with his arms raised. This and other glyphs depicting men conventionally color the skin red; the hair is typically black, and the clothing white (sometimes with black outlines or details).

Determinative meaning "supplicate", such as in dwꜣ (“praise”).

Determinative meaning "hide", such as in sdgꜣ (“be hidden”), and jmn (“hide”).


𓁚

Representing a god with sun and uraeus on its head.

Ideogram or Determinative in rꜥ (“the sun-god”).


𓁢

Representing a god with the head of a dog 𓃢 (E15).

Ideogram or determinative in jnpw (“Anubis”) as well as wp-wꜣwt (“Wepwawet”).


𓁣

Representing a god with the head of a Seth-animal 𓃩 (E20).


𓁟

Representing a god with the head of an ibis, 𓅝 (G26) or 𓅞 (G26A).

Ideogram or determinative in ḏḥwtj (“Thoth”).


𓁠

Representing a god with the head of a ram, 𓃝 (E10).

Ideogram or determinative in ẖnmw (“Chnum”).


𓁡

The same as 𓁠 (C4), but holding 𓋹 (S34).

Ideogram or determinative in ẖnmw (“Chnum”) (same as C4)


𓁤

Representing ithyphallic god with feathers, uplifted arm, and flagellum S45.

Ideogram or Determinative in mnw (“Min”).


𓁥

Representing a goddess with sun and horns.

Ideogram or Determinative in ḥwt-ḥr (“Hathor”).


𓂸

Representing a human phallus. During the Old Kingdom, this glyph was used to represent the organ and the concepts it represented, while 𓂺 D53 was used to represent the actions the organ performed or the substances issued from it. During the Middle Kingdom, usage of these two signs differed and became less consistent. This glyph was conventionally colored red.

Determinative for "male", such as in ɾꜣ (“ass”), ṯꜣy (“male, man”), and kꜣ (“bull”).

Phonetic mt, such as in mtwt (“poison”) and ḫmt (“three”)


𓀾

Determinative for "mummy", such as in wj (“mummy”).

Determinative for "statue" or "likeness", such as in twt (“statue”).

Determinative for "form" or "shape", such as in qj (“form”) and ḫprw (“forms, stages of growth”).


𓊂

Representing a façade of a palace or tomb 𓊁 (O33) rotated ninety degrees.

Alternative form of 𓊁 (O33) used when enclosing the serekh name of a king in text written in horizontal rows rather than columns


𓁛

Representing a god with the head of a falcon bearing sun on head G9 and holding S34


𓁦

Ideogram or determinative in mꜣꜥt (“Maat, the goddess of truth”).


𓈚

A form of N37 (𓈙, representing a pool) with a few diagonal lines across the interior to suggest ripples of water and distinguish it from similar glyphs; this form originated in hieratic and appeared occasionally in semi-cursive hieroglyphs during the Old Kingdom (and later); it rarely appeared in hieroglyphs proper before the Late Period.


𓈜

A detailed Old Kingdom form of N37 (𓈙, representing a pool) with its interior covered in vertical zigzags of rippling water.


𓎽

Representing a ringstand for holding pots and jars. This is the Old Kingdom form; g (𓎼) developed later.


𓂑

Representing a breast. Sometimes depicted larger, D27A (𓂒). This glyph was conventionally colored yellow.


𓃫

A variant of 𓃩 (E20) which is lying down.

Alternative form of 𓃩
Ideogram for stẖ (“Set”)

Determinative in e.g. nšnj (“thunderstorm”).


𓃩

A depiction of an unidentified animal associated with Set, the Set animal: a slender canid resembling a greyhound, Saluki or jackal, with a distinctive stiff tail (often forked in later depictions) which stands erect whether the animal is sitting, standing, or walking. Its erect ears are usually depicted as squarish or triangular, narrowest at the base and widest at the squarish(perhaps cropped) tops, and its long nose often has a slight downward curve. It may or may not have been a real animal. It is usually depicted at rest, either sitting like this, or lying down: 𓃫 (E21).


𓈝

Representing a pool with legs. A combination of the hieroglyphs N37 (𓈙, phonogram for š) and D54 (𓂻, representing jwj (“to walk”)).

Biliteral phonogram for šm, as in šmj (“to go, walk”).


𓀄

Representing a man crouching with his arms raised, hiding. In later depictions (since partway through the 18th Dynasty), the man is hiding behind a wall; in earlier depictions the wall is not present, and the glyph was visually similar to 𓀃 (A4) but for the different posture. This and other glyphs depicting men conventionally color the skin red; the hair is typically black, and the clothing white (sometimes with black outlines or details).


𓀏

A captive man kneeling with his arms tied behind his back.


𓄑

This glyph was conventionally colored white. Due to this, it is generally taken to represent a tusk, but one variant (in the Temple of Sety I at Abydos is green instead, perhaps indicating it had been reinterpreted as a copper water spout there.

A glyph, used in writing e.g. bḥ b-bH:Hn (“a kind of plant”).


𓏙

Generally taken to represent a conical loaf of bread, this glyph was conventionally outlined in black or blue, often with white fill and a red inner triangle; compare 𓏏 X1. Nunn writes that the interpretation of this glyph as bread is questionable: "neither X1 nor X8 is represented as bread on offering tables in funerary scenes"; in e.g. 𓏐 X2 and 𓏑 X3 bread is yellow; and conical bread molds did exist but were rounded: this glyph's shape is more like an angular "funerary cone", but those were white or red.


𓍷

Representing the cartouche with an architectural rather than mythological image, as a gigantic ceiling resting on four supports. The phonogrammatic value is derived from the glyph’s use in šnw (“cartouche”).

Determinative in words for the cartouche, as in šnw.


𓌪

A depiction of a knife with a curved handle. In an example from Rekhmire's tomb, it is colored red, either to represent danger or copper.
Compare the Chinese character 刀 (Bronze inscriptional form ).

Ideogram for cutting, used in šꜥ, as well as jw, smꜣ, zfṯ, zft, etc.


𓆷

Representing a pool with lotus flowers. The phonogrammatic value derives by the rebus principle from the glyph’s use as a logogram for šꜣ (“field, countryside, swamp”).

Group-writing phonogram for š; compare uniliteral 𓈙 (Gardiner number: N37).

Logogram for šꜣ (“field, countryside, swamp”).

Logogram for ꜣḫt (“Akhet, inundation season”).


𓄤

Representing a sheep's heart and windpipe or esophagus in cross-section. The heart section shows the same color variations as 𓄣 (Gardiner F34), whilst the windpipe/esophagus section may be white with red outline, or alternatively green, possibly a symbol of life-giving breath.

Logogram for nfr (“perfect, complete, good, beautiful, nefer”).


𓆼

Representing the leaf, stalk and rhizome (or a mound of earth) of the lotus. In general, the stem and base red, and the leaf green or yellow.


𓂓

Representing two extended arms, as if to embrace. The glyph was painted red, except for some instances where it had a white fill due to a yellow background, and a yellow fill due to a white background.


𓌏

Representing an axe. An axe of more recent type, from the 12th Dynasty onward.