List of Gardiner's Fundamental Uniliteral Hieroglyphs and Their Transliteration
Hieroglyph |
Hieratic |
Transliteration |
MdC |
Pronunciation |
|
|
3 |
A |
Perhaps a glottal stop like Arabic "alif", often written as "a" |
|
|
i |
i |
Often written as "a" or "i" |
|
|
y |
y |
y |
|
|
ˤ |
a |
Perhaps like Arabic "ayin", written as "a" |
|
|
w |
w |
"oo","u" or "w" |
|
|
w |
W |
Used instead of the above in later times |
|
|
b |
b |
b |
|
|
p |
p |
p |
|
|
f |
f |
f |
|
|
m |
m |
m |
|
|
m |
M |
Used instead of the above in later times |
|
|
n |
n |
n |
|
|
n |
N |
Used instead of the above in later times |
|
|
r |
r |
r, l |
l
|
|
l |
l |
l |
|
|
h |
h |
h |
|
|
ḥ |
H |
Like Semitic "het", written "h" |
|
|
ḫ |
x |
Like German or Scottish "ch", written "kh" |
|
|
ẖ |
X |
Like German or Scottish "ch", written "kh" |
|
|
s,z |
z |
s |
|
|
s,z |
s |
s |
|
|
š |
S |
sh |
|
|
ḳ |
q |
q,k |
|
|
k |
k |
k |
|
|
g |
g |
g |
|
|
t |
t |
t |
|
|
ṯ |
T |
"tch", from Middle Egyptian on: t |
|
|
d |
d |
d |
|
|
ḏ |
D |
"dj", from Middle Egyptian on: d; also written as "z" |
The MdC specifies a method for electronically encoding complete ancient Egyptian texts, indicating many of the features characterizing hieroglyphic writing such as the placement, orientation, colour, and even size of individual hieroglyphs. Hieroglyphs not included in the list of fundamentals are referred to by their Gardiner number. This system is used (though frequently with modifications) by various software packages developed for typesetting hieroglyphic texts (such as SignWriter, WinGlyph, MacScribe, InScribe, Glyphotext, WikiHiero, and others). It is loosely based on the common representation of algebraic formulae. Some of the rules are:
- the "-"-sign concatenates the signs or group of signs between which it is placed.
- the ":"-sign places the first sign or group of signs above the second sign
- the "*"-sign juxtaposes two signs or groups of signs
- the rounded brackets "( )" form a compact grouping of signs arranged according to the other rules, which is treated as if it were a single sign
- the "< >"-brackets mark cartouches
- the "!"-sign marks an end of line
- the "!!"-sign marks an end of page