hieroglyph
Ancient pictorial character
A hieroglyph is a pictorial symbol used in ancient Egyptian writing, where images of birds, eyes, hands, and other figures represented sounds or meanings.
The term extends to any symbol in similar writing systems.
Figuratively, hieroglyphs are marks or writing that seem mysterious or indecipherable: His handwriting was pure hieroglyphs to me.
Ancient plant-derived writing material
- RosettaTrilingual Egyptian artifact
- pharaohAncient Egyptian ruler
- pyramidPointed polyhedral solid
- NileAfrica's longest river
sarcophagus · cartouche · Anubis · Ra · Isis · Osiris · Horus · Tutankhamun
Symbol representing concept directly
- logogramSymbol representing entire word
- determinativeSettling a matter conclusively
- phonogramSymbol representing speech sound
- emblemRepresentational sign or device
sign · cartouche · ankh · scarab · rebus · bilateral · trilateral
Edged carving implement
- stoneSolid earth fragment
- bas-reliefSculpture projecting slightly
- inscriptionText permanently marked
- stelaUpright inscribed stone slab
relief · limestone · engraving · obelisk · frieze · quarry · pigment · outline
Manual document copier
- papyrusAncient plant-derived writing material
- inkWriting fluid
- manuscriptOriginal text before publication
- calligraphyOrnamental handwriting art
cursive · hieratic · demotic · temple · tomb · Thoth · education · training
Hidden writing system
- codeSymbolic communication system
- translationConverting between languages
- crypticObscure in meaning
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
demotic · Coptic · bilingual · trilingual · epigraphy · philology · linguistics · grammar
papyrus
Ancient plant-derived writing material
Nile · sarcophagus · cartouche · Anubis · Ra · Isis · Osiris · Horus · Tutankhamun · Ramses
ideogram
Symbol representing concept directly
- logogramSymbol representing entire word
- determinativeSettling a matter conclusively
- phonogramSymbol representing speech sound
emblem · sign · cartouche · ankh · scarab · rebus · bilateral · trilateral
chisel
Edged carving implement
- stoneSolid earth fragment
- bas-reliefSculpture projecting slightly
- inscriptionText permanently marked
stela · relief · limestone · engraving · obelisk · frieze · quarry · pigment · outline · incised
scribe
Manual document copier
- papyrusAncient plant-derived writing material
- inkWriting fluid
- manuscriptOriginal text before publication
calligraphy · cursive · hieratic · demotic · temple · tomb · Thoth · education · training · palette
cipher
Hidden writing system
- codeSymbolic communication system
- translationConverting between languages
- crypticObscure in meaning
enigma · demotic · Coptic · bilingual · trilingual · epigraphy · philology · linguistics · grammar · vocabulary
- historyancient civilizations, past events, historian, epochs, era
- Egyptpyramids, Cairo, Sphinx, Nile, pharaoh
- carvingcarve, carved, whittle, whittled, chisel
- cryptic puzzlesriddle, cipher, code, cryptogram, enigma
- representationsrepresentation, statue, symbol, portraits, emblem
- symbolssymbols, runes, symbol, asterisks, national symbol
hieroglyphcursive script
Connected flowing handwriting style
shorthand · phoneme · plain text · cuneiform · demotic script
hieroglyphplain English
Unadorned, accessible wording
plain text · clear text · plaintext · clear writing · everyday language
- hieroglyphic writingAncient Egyptian picture script
- Egyptian hieroglyphsAncient pictorial writing system
- Egyptian hieroglyphicsAncient pictorial script