Phonetic Complement
Sound signs can be used as sound complements (or phonetic complements) indicating the sound conveyed by other phonograms. In the
sign, it is added to flesh out the r of pr and in
the one-consonant sign
and
are used to flesh out fr of nfr. In
, the
is added to flesh out the r in Hr.
Sound complement can be added in three ways:
1. Before the phonograms
Many such cases are well documented in Old Kingdom texts. This phoneme was used in Middle Kingdom texts.
Example
tm (
tsound complement +
tmphonogram)
2. Sound Complement added after the phonograms
This usage is a common feature in the inscriptions of the Old and Middle Kingdoms.
Examples
pA (
pA phonogram +
A sound complement).
mn (
mn phonogram +
n sound complement).
3. Sound Complement added before and after the phonograms
This is a rare way in which Egyptians tried to flesh out consonants in bilateral or triliteral signs.
Example
in
(
i sound complement +
in phonogram +
sound)