hieroglyph

English

Egyptian hieroglyphs typical of the Graeco-Roman period.

Etymology

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),
.[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhaɪɹəˌɡlɪf/

Noun

hieroglyph (plural hieroglyphs)

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

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

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

  1. To represent by hieroglyphs.

References

  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.
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