| Hand (also, letter "d") in hieroglyphs |
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| Hand version 2 in hieroglyphs |
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| Hand version 3 in hieroglyphs |
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The ancient Egyptian Hand (hieroglyph) is an alphabetic hieroglyph with the meaning of "d"; it is also used in the word for 'hand', and actions that are performed, i.e. by the 'way of one's hands', or actions. (Used as a determinative.)
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Also used in iconography. Pharaoh Den of the 1st Dynasty used the hand as part of his name: "d + n".
An even earlier usage of hand can be compared to the sister hieroglyph: Hand-fist (hieroglyph). Five fists are held onto a rope bordering a hunt scene on a predynastic cosmetic palette. The damaged Bull Palette from Hierakonpolis is notable since each hand forms the base of a wooden vertical standard, with god-like animals, one standing on top of each!
The Hand as hieroglyphic also forms the word for 'hand' in the Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic language: "ţet." In line 13, (R-13), one of ten ways for honoring the Pharaoh Ptolemy V was to:
In the 1st half of the Rosetta Stone, (the Decree of Memphis (Ptolemy V)), supplied by the Nubayrah Stele, line N-22, there is use of the Hand-hieroglyph as part of an important word that implies the use of 'hands', or 'action'. In speaking of the district, or town that defiled Pharaoh, and had to be defeated, the town is referred to as: ...(the rebels) "they led astray-(Hand hieroglyph: seţeman-sen) the nomes."[2]
The following two tables show the Egyptian uniliteral signs. (24 letters, but multiple use hieroglyphs)
| a |
i |
y |
' |
(w,u) |
B |
| P |
F |
M |
N |
R |
H1 |
| H2 |
Kh1 |
Kh2 |
S |
(Sh)=Š |
Q/K2 |
| K |
G |
T |
Ch—Tj |
D |
Dj |
| L/(R) (special) (Ptolemaic, etc) |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| a | i (ee) |
y ii |
' ah, (aïn) |
w, (u) (oo) |
B |
| P | F | M | N | R | H1 |
| H2 | (Kh)1 | (Kh)2 | S | Sh (Sh) |
K emphatic |
| K | G | T | Tj Ch Tsh |
D | Dj |
| (additionally 4 for vert/horiz) |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| M (horiz) M2-Plinth |
N (vert) (see: N (red crown)) |
S (vert) S (folded cloth) |
M (3rd-M -2nd-vert) M3-Baker's tool |
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| (additionally 3 for equivalents) |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
is— y2-Two strokes |
is— letter w, u (see w2-Coil) |
T (no. 2) T2-Pestle |