Union symbol (hieroglyph)

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Union symbol %28hieroglyph%29
Union-symbol
(Lung and
Trachea)

sma
in hieroglyphs
Chephren's seated statue. Chephren CG 17.jpg
Chephren's seated statue.
Detail of Chephren's statue. Chephren CG 14-Detail.jpg
Detail of Chephren's statue.
The Union symbol (hieroglyph) is Gardiner sign listed no. F36, part of the series for parts of mammals. As a "union symbol", (a right and left half), it contains a vertical invisible 'centerline'. It allows for the positioning of two important hieroglyphs to be attached to it, right and left, as the uniting of two halves; specifically this is referencing Upper Egypt (by the King of the South), represented by the sedge hieroglyph (M23)
Union symbol %28hieroglyph%29
and Lower Egypt (the King of the North), represented by the papyrus clump hieroglyph (M16)
Union symbol %28hieroglyph%29
.

In Egyptian hieroglyphs, the hieroglyph is used for the phonetic value of sma, [1] (a triliteral) with meanings of to join together, to unite with. [2]

Egyptian hieroglyphs formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians

Egyptian hieroglyphs were the formal writing system used in Ancient Egypt. Hieroglyphs combined logographic, syllabic and alphabetic elements, with a total of some 1,000 distinct characters. Cursive hieroglyphs were used for religious literature on papyrus and wood. The later hieratic and demotic Egyptian scripts were derived from hieroglyphic writing, as was the Proto-Siniatic script that later evolved into the Phoenician alphabet. Through the Phoenician alphabet's major child systems, the Greek and Aramaic scripts, the Egyptian hieroglyphic script is ancestral to the majority of scripts in modern use, most prominently the Latin and Cyrillic scripts and the Arabic script and Brahmic family of scripts.

The following is a list of Egyptian hieroglyphs with triconsonantal phonetic value.

For its use as "uniting of two lands", it has an identical usage to the Two whips with shen ring hieroglyph
Union symbol %28hieroglyph%29
, which from its very construction appears as the uniting of two separate "tribes", or communities.

See also

Two whips with shen ring (hieroglyph)

The ancient Egyptian Two Whips with Shen ring hieroglyph, Gardiner sign listed no. S23 is a portrayal of the Shen ring with two Egyptian flails-(Crook and flail); it is a member of the Gardiner subset for "crowns, dress, staves, etc".

Related Research Articles

Emblem of the West

The Egyptian hieroglyph Emblem of the West represents the goddess Imentet, personification of the afterlife. It is composed of a hawk or ostrich feather. The alternate version of the symbol contains the complete figure of the hawk, for Horus, with the feather extending sideways, making it similar to the iat standard, surmounted by individual gods. The feather is associated with the headdress worn by the Libyans.

The Egyptian hieroglyph representing gold, phonetic value nb, is important due to its use in the Horus-of-Gold name, one of the Fivefold Titulary names of the Egyptian pharaoh.

The ancient Egyptian child hieroglyph is part of the Egyptian Gardiner's Sign List hieroglyphs for the beginning core subgroup of Man and his Occupations. It relates to the child, and childhood, and has a version for the Pharaoh, as a child.

Townsite-city-region (hieroglyph) hieroglyph

The Ancient Egyptian Townsite-city-region (hieroglyph) is Gardiner sign listed no. O49 for the intersection of a town's streets. In some Egyptian hieroglyphs books it is called a City Plan.

The Ancient Egyptian Brazier hieroglyph is Gardiner sign listed no. Q7 for the cooking brazier. It is shown from the Old Kingdom in the style of a vertical burning flame upon four feet, but the hieroglyph has the flame hiding the fourth foot. Another Gardiner unlisted form has the four feet, with no flame, and in a plan view.

Spine with fluid (hieroglyph)

The use of the spine with fluid hieroglyph is for words showing "length", as opposed to 'breadth',. Some example words for 'length' are: to be long, length, to extend, extended; and for to expand, to dilate, words like: joy, gladness, pleasure, delight.

The Ancient Egyptian Swallow hieroglyph is Gardiner sign listed no. G36 for swallow birds. The Sparrow hieroglyph appears similar in size and shape, but it is used to represent small, or bad items.

The grape arbor hieroglyph is used in Egyptian hieroglyphs as a determinative, or ideogram for words related to the "vineyard", i3rrt, or for 'wine', irp; it is also used for describing 'fruit' or 'orchards'.

The ancient Egyptian Face hieroglyph, Gardiner sign listed no. D2 is a portrayal of the human face, frontal view.

Pick (hieroglyph)

The ancient Egyptian Pick hieroglyph, Gardiner sign listed nos. U17, U18 is a portrayal of a 'pick upon the side view of a block'; it is in the Gardiner subset for agriculture, crafts, and professions.

Stair-single (hieroglyph)

In the Egyptian language, the single stair hieroglyph is used as a determinative.

Water-jugs-in-stand (hieroglyph)

The ancient Egyptian Water-jugs-in-stand hieroglyph, is Gardiner sign listed no. W17, W18, within the Gardiner signs for vessels of stone and earthenware.

Scribe equipment (hieroglyph)

The ancient Egyptian Scribe equipment hieroglyph 𓏞, or its reversed form 𓏟, portrays the equipment of the scribe. Numerous scribes used the hieroglyph in stating their name, either on papyrus documents, but especially on statuary or tomb reliefs.

Three fox skins (hieroglyph)

The Three-Fox-Skins (hieroglyph) is Gardiner's sign listed no. F31, in the series of parts of animals. It consists of 3-fox skins tied at one end, and hanging, creating flowing skins.

Bee (hieroglyph) hieroglyph

The Egyptian hieroglyph representing a honey bee. It is used as an ideogram for "bee" (bjt), but most frequently as part of the title of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, rendered nswt-bjtj.

Land, irrigated (hieroglyph)

The irrigated land hieroglyph represents "district, nome". It is a determinative in the name of provinces and regions in the noun ḥsp, for "garden", "vegetable garden", and "orchard".

Hippopotamus (hieroglyph)

The Hippopotamus (hieroglyph) is Gardiner sign listed no. E25, in the category of mammals. It is used in Egyptian hieroglyphs as a determinative in words designating the animal, in Egyptian as db, and kh3b.

Papyrus roll-tied

Some artistic versions of the papyrus roll show the laminations, or grid-work, the cross-hatching of the papyrus fibers, for example on Thutmosis III's cartouches.

References

  1. Betrò, 1995. Hieroglyphics: The Writings of Ancient Egypt, p. 128,
  2. Budge, 1991. A Hieroglyphic Dictionary to the Book of the Dead, pp. 345.
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