On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 14:22:22 +0000, "S.Kalyanaraman" <
kalyan97@...>
wrote:
>The main difference between Egyptian
>Hieroglyphs and Sarasvati Hieroglyphs is that the former are
>representations of syllables while the latter are representations
>(rebus) of words
Egyptian hieroglyphs are not syllabic.
Egyptian writing is a mixed system, consisting of logograms, determinatives
and phonograms. The phonograms never denote syllables, but only a single
consonant or a group of consonants.
An example of Egyptian writing (Loprieno, p. 16)
Actual writing:
d_/WORD/j/n/gb/b/GOD/h./n/`/9/t/GOD/GOD/GOD/f
Pronunciation (without vowels):
d_d mdw.w jn gbb h.n` psd_.t=f
Translation:
to say (d_[d]) words (mdw[w]) by (jn) Geb (gbb-GOD) with (h.n`) his (=f)
Ennead (9-t-GOD-GOD-GOD)
Note that "to say" (d_d) has been abbreviated to <d_>, and that the plural
-w of MDW (WORD) is also not written. The determinatives GOD and GODS (=
plural GOD GOD GOD, with dual GOD GOD) are not to be pronounced.
=======================
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
mcv@...