hieroglyph

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English[edit]

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Egyptian hieroglyphs typical of the Graeco-Roman period.

Etymology[edit]

First attested around 1598, a back-formation from hieroglyphic (1580s), from Middle French hiéroglyphique, from Late Latin hieroglyphicus, from Ancient Greek ἱερογλυφικός (hierogluphikós) (Plutarch τά ἱερογλυφικά [γράμματα] "hieroglyphic [writing]), ἱερόγλυφος (hierógluphos, carver of hieroglyphs) (Ptolemy), a compound of ἱερός (hierós, sacred, holy) and γλυφή (gluphḗ, carved work), a calque of Egyptian mdw-nṯr (the god’s word),
nTrmd
.[1] By surface analysis, hiero- +‎ glyph

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈhaɪ.ɹəˌɡlɪf/, /ˈhaɪ.ɹəʊˌɡlɪf/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈhaɪɚ.əˌɡlɪf/, /ˈhaɪɚ.oʊˌɡlɪf/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: hie‧ro‧glyph, hier‧o‧glyph

Noun[edit]

hieroglyph (plural hieroglyphs)

  1. An element of a hieroglyphic writing system.
  2. (informal) Any obscure or baffling symbol.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

hieroglyph (third-person singular simple present hieroglyphs, present participle hieroglyphing, simple past and past participle hieroglyphed)

  1. To represent by hieroglyphs.

References[edit]

  1. ^ James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 2, 177.