Learn Hieroglyphs

Different ways to write the same words

Hieroglyphic words were written in the form of groups of signs for space and artistic reasons, for example the title mAa-xrw“true of voice”can be written in different ways:

Although the words are written in different ways, but the two main words mAa and xrw exist in all the forms of the title.

We should notice that the word mAa was only written in the unilateral signs

Abbreviations

Abbreviations are common in the hieroglyphic inscriptions, mainly in titles and adjectives.

Examples of abbreviations

HAty-a
mayor or local prince. Literally (foremost in position)

It was written using the sign HAt above the sign a with no phonetic complements.

Xry-Hbt
Lector priest

The words Xry and Hbt were abbreviated and written using the signs Xr and Hb, and we notice that the vertical signs were written on the right and left of the sign Xr.

Graphic Transpositions

Sometimes signs were transposed in order to give a better appearance

Ddw was written instead of
Ddw was written instead of

mAA was written instead of

aH was written instead of

Transpositions with Honorific Intentions

There was a common tendency to write words as nsw “king” and ntr “god”, as well as the names of specific kings and gods, ahead of closely connected words which in actual speech were pronounced first.