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Hand (hieroglyph)
Encyclopedia
The ancient Egyptian
Hand (hieroglyph) is an alphabet
ic hieroglyph with the meaning of "d"; it is also used in the word for 'hand', and actions that are performed, i.e. by the 'way of one's hands', or actions. (Used as a determinative
.)
Also used in iconography
. Pharaoh Den
of the 1st Dynasty
used the hand as part of his name: "d + n".
An even earlier usage of hand can be compared to the sister hieroglyph: Hand-fist (hieroglyph). Five fists are held onto a rope
bordering a hunt scene on a predynastic cosmetic palette
. The damaged Bull Palette
from Hierakonpolis is notable since each hand forms the base of a wood
en vertical standard, with god-like
animals, one standing on top of each!
language: "ţet." In line 13, (R-13), one of ten ways for honoring the Pharaoh Ptolemy V was to:
In the 1st half of the Rosetta Stone, (the Decree of Memphis (Ptolemy V)), supplied by the Nubayrah Stele
, line N-22, there is use of the Hand-hieroglyph as part of an important word that implies the use of 'hands', or 'action'. In speaking of the district, or town that defiled Pharaoh, and had to be defeated, the town is referred to as: ...(the rebels) "they led astray-(Hand hieroglyph: seţeman-sen) the nomes."
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
Hand (hieroglyph) is an alphabet
Alphabet
An alphabet is a standard set of letters—basic written symbols or graphemes—each of which represents a phoneme in a spoken language, either as it exists now or as it was in the past. There are other systems, such as logographies, in which each character represents a word, morpheme, or semantic...
ic hieroglyph with the meaning of "d"; it is also used in the word for 'hand', and actions that are performed, i.e. by the 'way of one's hands', or actions. (Used as a determinative
Determinative
A determinative, also known as a taxogram or semagram, is an ideogram used to mark semantic categories of words in logographic scripts which helps to disambiguate interpretation. They have no direct counterpart in spoken language, though they may derive historically from glyphs for real words, and...
.)
Iconographic usage
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
. Pharaoh Den
Den (Pharaoh)
Den, also known as Hor-Den, Dewen and Udimu, is the Horus name of an early Egyptian king who ruled during the 1st dynasty. He is the best archaeologically attested ruler of this period. Den is said to have brought prosperity to his realm and numerous innovations are attributed to his reign...
of the 1st Dynasty
First dynasty of Egypt
The first dynasty of Ancient Egypt is often combined with the Dynasty II under the group title, Early Dynastic Period of Egypt...
used the hand as part of his name: "d + n".
An even earlier usage of hand can be compared to the sister hieroglyph: Hand-fist (hieroglyph). Five fists are held onto a rope
Rope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
bordering a hunt scene on a predynastic cosmetic palette
Cosmetic palette
The cosmetic palettes of middle to late predynastic Egypt are archaeological artifacts, originally used to grind and apply ingredients for facial or body cosmetics. The decorative palettes of the late 4th millennium BCE appear to have lost this function and became commemorative, ornamental, and...
. The damaged Bull Palette
Bull Palette
The Bull Palette is an ancient Egyptian palette in the corpus of iconographic cosmetic palettes that focus on topics from the Late Predynastic Period, ca late 4th millennium BC....
from Hierakonpolis is notable since each hand forms the base of a wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
en vertical standard, with god-like
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
animals, one standing on top of each!
Rosetta Stone usage as word: "hand"
The Hand as hieroglyphic also forms the word for 'hand' in the Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphicEgyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphs for religious literature on papyrus and wood...
language: "ţet." In line 13, (R-13), one of ten ways for honoring the Pharaoh Ptolemy V was to:
- ...."and let be engraved the Rank: "Priest of the god appearing-(epiphanousEpiphany (feeling)An epiphany is the sudden realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something...
), lord of benefits -(eucharistos-Greek)", upon the rings worn on their hands-(hieroglyph)."
In the 1st half of the Rosetta Stone, (the Decree of Memphis (Ptolemy V)), supplied by the Nubayrah Stele
Nubayrah Stele
The Nubayrah Stele is a mutilated copy of the Decree of Memphis on a limestone stele; the same decree is found upon the Rosetta Stone...
, line N-22, there is use of the Hand-hieroglyph as part of an important word that implies the use of 'hands', or 'action'. In speaking of the district, or town that defiled Pharaoh, and had to be defeated, the town is referred to as: ...(the rebels) "they led astray-(Hand hieroglyph: seţeman-sen) the nomes."
The Egyptian hieroglyph alphabetic letters
The following two tables show the Egyptian uniliteral signs. (24 letters, but multiple use hieroglyphs)| a |
i |
y |
' |
(w,u) |
B |
| P |
F |
M |
N |
R |
H1 |
| H2 |
Kh1 |
Kh2 |
S |
(Sh)=Š |
Q/K2 |
| K |
G |
T |
Ch—Tj |
D |
Dj |
| L/(R) (special) (Ptolemaic, etc) |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| a | i (ee) |
y ii |
' ah, (aïn) |
w, (u) (oo) |
B |
| P | F | M | N | R | H1 |
| H2 | (Kh)1 | (Kh)2 | S | Sh (Sh) |
K emphatic |
| K | G | T | Tj Ch Tsh |
D | Dj |
| (additionally 4 for vert/horiz) |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| M (horiz) M2-Plinth |
N (vert) (see: N (red crown)) |
S (vert) S (folded cloth) |
M (3rd-M -2nd-vert) M3-Baker's tool |
||
| (additionally 3 for equivalents) |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
is— y2-Two strokes |
is— letter w, u (see w2-Coil) |
T (no. 2) T2-Pestle |
See also
- Gardiner's Sign List#D. Parts of the Human Body
- Hand-with-droplets (hieroglyph)Hand-with-droplets (hieroglyph)The ancient Egyptian Hand-with-droplets hieroglyph, Gardiner sign listed no. D46A is a portrayal of the hand, with droplet offerings. In the Old Kingdom usage it is found on ivory labels and slab stelas, presumably with the use of 'aroma' and unguents, or with incense...
- Cosmetic paletteCosmetic paletteThe cosmetic palettes of middle to late predynastic Egypt are archaeological artifacts, originally used to grind and apply ingredients for facial or body cosmetics. The decorative palettes of the late 4th millennium BCE appear to have lost this function and became commemorative, ornamental, and...
- Bull PaletteBull PaletteThe Bull Palette is an ancient Egyptian palette in the corpus of iconographic cosmetic palettes that focus on topics from the Late Predynastic Period, ca late 4th millennium BC....