DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6359#0065
HIEROGLYPHIC WRITING.
57
Now to apply our alphabet; let us suppose an ancient
Egyptian desirous of writing phonetically what we call
' crocodile.' He would give us the following characters:
P jj The first is an owl, the second is the back
°f a chair, and the third is a twisted cord. The owl is called
Ui the ancient language mulag, or as some write it, mooladj ;
this furnishes us with the initial M; so the initial of the next
Slgu gives us S, while that of the last furnishes H. Placing
the three together, we have m s h ; supply the vowel, as is
necessary in oriental languages generally, (for in the Semitic
tongues it is frequently omitted,) and you get the word ?nsuh,
which is one of the Egyptian names for the crocodile.
Now it will be at once perceived that, as very many words
HlUst commence with the same letter, if any word may be
taken to express, phonetically, its initial, there is danger of
confusion; and hence it became important to ascertain how
tar this system of phonetic objects extends. Upon examina-
tion, the number of objects used in the Egyptian writing, was
found to be limited. All objects that express the same initial
letter are, as we have said, called liomophones; from the
Greek words implying the same sound. After the discovery
°f those objects which were ordinarily used phonetically, the
way 0pen for jj^e construction of a phonetic alphabet.
For the purpose of illustration merely, we subjoin such an
alphabet. It should, however, be remarked, that upon the
establishment of Christianity in Egypt, the ancient system of
writing, from its supposed connection with idolatry, was laid
aside, and the translations of the Bible and other religious
D°oks into the language of the country, were written in Greek
characters. There were, however, six sounds in Egyptian,
57
Now to apply our alphabet; let us suppose an ancient
Egyptian desirous of writing phonetically what we call
' crocodile.' He would give us the following characters:
P jj The first is an owl, the second is the back
°f a chair, and the third is a twisted cord. The owl is called
Ui the ancient language mulag, or as some write it, mooladj ;
this furnishes us with the initial M; so the initial of the next
Slgu gives us S, while that of the last furnishes H. Placing
the three together, we have m s h ; supply the vowel, as is
necessary in oriental languages generally, (for in the Semitic
tongues it is frequently omitted,) and you get the word ?nsuh,
which is one of the Egyptian names for the crocodile.
Now it will be at once perceived that, as very many words
HlUst commence with the same letter, if any word may be
taken to express, phonetically, its initial, there is danger of
confusion; and hence it became important to ascertain how
tar this system of phonetic objects extends. Upon examina-
tion, the number of objects used in the Egyptian writing, was
found to be limited. All objects that express the same initial
letter are, as we have said, called liomophones; from the
Greek words implying the same sound. After the discovery
°f those objects which were ordinarily used phonetically, the
way 0pen for jj^e construction of a phonetic alphabet.
For the purpose of illustration merely, we subjoin such an
alphabet. It should, however, be remarked, that upon the
establishment of Christianity in Egypt, the ancient system of
writing, from its supposed connection with idolatry, was laid
aside, and the translations of the Bible and other religious
D°oks into the language of the country, were written in Greek
characters. There were, however, six sounds in Egyptian,