DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6553#0057
30
APPENDIX.
this inquiry, it may also be observed, that the whole of the characters
contained in a cartouche are not always to be considered as phonetic, but
that, probably by a license incidental to a mixed mode of writing, they
are partly syllabic, and partly phonetic; and likewise, that the charac-
ters are usually inserted in the cartouches, so as to please the eye
rather than to follow the connexion of the pronunciation. The necessity
for inversion in order to make out the prenomens of the more antient
monarchs seems to be clearly proved by a reference to the lists of Ma-
netho, by the texts themselves, and also by the explanation of the name
of Menka-re, as well as of those of the monarchs found at the Pyramids
of Abouseir. These instances must therefore be held in remembrance by
those persons, who undertake the explanation of hieroglyphical inscrip-
tions. In alphabetical languages a metathesis of the syllables of a word
cannot take place ; but in symbolical languages it is frequently used.
Thus, in the Chinese, the radicals, or elementary characters, which
answer to the class known in hieroglyphics by the name of determina-
tives, occasionally appear above, below, or at the side of the specific
elements, without making any alteration in the character, because their
ideographic meaning is not affected by position. In the same manner,
in that language, the relative locations of the words are frequently over-
looked. Thus, what expresses " man-hand," or " hand-man," equally
means " mans hand," or " hand of man." The same principles apply
to Egyptian hieroglyphics, and probably for the same reason — that the
whole system is throughout ideophonetic, or of ideal sound. The car-
touche, for example, of Re-nofre-ka, or Nofre-ka-re, contains three
elements, every one of which is the image of an idea intended to be
described. The circular disc indicates a sun, pronounced Ra in the
Memphite, and Re in the Saidic dialect; the guitar, taken phonetically,
stands for the letter N only when the idea "good" is to be expressed.
The two uplifted hands, signifying Ka, or an offering, were exclusively
used during the best epoch of Egyptian art, to express " bearing," or
"offering;" as Ka, "to offer;" Kot, "to bear," or "build," &c.
Each symbol in the above name is, consequently, emblematic as well as
phonetic, its relation to sound not being greater than to idea ; and the
whole group may be supposed to signify, either " the good offering of
the sun," "good in offering to the sun," or " the sun good in offer-
ing;" and may, with great probability, be assumed to form Nofre-ka-re,
which resembles the name of the monarch Nepercheres in the lists of
Manetho.
M. Lenormant4 has not only translated my account of the coffin of
Mycerinus, as I have already remarked, but he has entered into consi-
4 Lenormant (Ch.), " Eclairc. sur le Cereueil de Mycerinus," 4to. Paris,
1839, pp. 37-43, has been the first to publicly recognise Shore and Nofre-
ka-re.
APPENDIX.
this inquiry, it may also be observed, that the whole of the characters
contained in a cartouche are not always to be considered as phonetic, but
that, probably by a license incidental to a mixed mode of writing, they
are partly syllabic, and partly phonetic; and likewise, that the charac-
ters are usually inserted in the cartouches, so as to please the eye
rather than to follow the connexion of the pronunciation. The necessity
for inversion in order to make out the prenomens of the more antient
monarchs seems to be clearly proved by a reference to the lists of Ma-
netho, by the texts themselves, and also by the explanation of the name
of Menka-re, as well as of those of the monarchs found at the Pyramids
of Abouseir. These instances must therefore be held in remembrance by
those persons, who undertake the explanation of hieroglyphical inscrip-
tions. In alphabetical languages a metathesis of the syllables of a word
cannot take place ; but in symbolical languages it is frequently used.
Thus, in the Chinese, the radicals, or elementary characters, which
answer to the class known in hieroglyphics by the name of determina-
tives, occasionally appear above, below, or at the side of the specific
elements, without making any alteration in the character, because their
ideographic meaning is not affected by position. In the same manner,
in that language, the relative locations of the words are frequently over-
looked. Thus, what expresses " man-hand," or " hand-man," equally
means " mans hand," or " hand of man." The same principles apply
to Egyptian hieroglyphics, and probably for the same reason — that the
whole system is throughout ideophonetic, or of ideal sound. The car-
touche, for example, of Re-nofre-ka, or Nofre-ka-re, contains three
elements, every one of which is the image of an idea intended to be
described. The circular disc indicates a sun, pronounced Ra in the
Memphite, and Re in the Saidic dialect; the guitar, taken phonetically,
stands for the letter N only when the idea "good" is to be expressed.
The two uplifted hands, signifying Ka, or an offering, were exclusively
used during the best epoch of Egyptian art, to express " bearing," or
"offering;" as Ka, "to offer;" Kot, "to bear," or "build," &c.
Each symbol in the above name is, consequently, emblematic as well as
phonetic, its relation to sound not being greater than to idea ; and the
whole group may be supposed to signify, either " the good offering of
the sun," "good in offering to the sun," or " the sun good in offer-
ing;" and may, with great probability, be assumed to form Nofre-ka-re,
which resembles the name of the monarch Nepercheres in the lists of
Manetho.
M. Lenormant4 has not only translated my account of the coffin of
Mycerinus, as I have already remarked, but he has entered into consi-
4 Lenormant (Ch.), " Eclairc. sur le Cereueil de Mycerinus," 4to. Paris,
1839, pp. 37-43, has been the first to publicly recognise Shore and Nofre-
ka-re.