Ankh wedja seneb

S34
 
U28
 
S29

(Unicode: 𓋹𓍑𓋴)
ankh wedja seneb
L P H
Life, prosperity, health
in hieroglyphs

The Ancient Egyptian phrase ankh, wedja, seneb meaning "life, prosperity, health" is an epithetic formula which often appears after the names of Egyptian kings or references to their household, or at the end of letters. The phrase comprises three hieroglyphs: the triliteral sign for ankh, meaning "life", the biliteral sign wedj, and the alphabetic sign s.

The phrase's true grammatical form is difficult to reconstruct, though Gardiner suggests the symbols may represent verbs in the stative form.

English translations of Egyptian often use the abbreviation "L.P.H." for "Life, Prosperity, Health".

The phrase represents the following Egyptian words-(and their concepts):

  1. ankh: "Life"
  2. wedja: "to be whole/intact"/"Endurance" (= "Prosperity")
  3. seneb: "Health"

Ankh

S34
 
or
 
S34 n
Aa1
Y1

(Unicode: 𓋹 or 𓋹𓈖𓐍𓏛)
Ankh
Life
in hieroglyphs

Life:

"Ankh", "to live," "life,"[1] was associated with the gods of Egypt, and Egyptian kings (pharaohs) aspired to achieve their responsibilities of governing and protecting life in Egypt.

Wedja

U28
 
or
 
G43 U28 A Aa29

(Unicode: 𓍑 or 𓅱𓍑𓄿𓐫)
Wedja
Prosperity
in hieroglyphs

Prosperity:

Wedja (written "utcha" in 19th century transcriptions) literally means "to be whole; to be intact,"[2] but also has the connotation of "prosperity" and "well-being."[3]
Dominion is a second term that is implied with prosperity. The raising of the Djed pillar was symbolic of the pharaoh creating, and maintaining his kingdom. It is the reason some pharaohs campaigned beyond the Egyptian border, leaving a legacy for the next pharaohs to deal with.

Seneb

S29
 
or
 
S29 N35
D58		 Aa29

(Unicode: 𓋴 or 𓋴𓈖𓃀𓐫)
Seneb
Health
in hieroglyphs

Health:

Seneb has many translations: "to be well," "to be healthy," and "to have 'soundness'": "to be sound."[4] Another word, also seneb has the determinative of a wall and means "to build," but with the connotation of "to build (soundly)."[5]

a.u.s. in the Rosetta Stone

R9 R9 R9
 
X7 W24
Z9
D40		 N35
M3
Aa1 X1
 
S34 U28 S29
 
F18
D21		 Aa1 X1
V30		 nfr D21
F40		 O34
N35
Z2

(Unicode: 𓊺𓊺𓊺 𓏘𓏌𓏴𓂡𓈖𓆱𓐍𓏏 𓋹𓍑𓋴 𓄑𓂋𓐍𓏏𓎟𓄤𓂋𓄫𓊃𓈖𓏥)
"given by the gods:
victory, might, life, strength, health-(LPH), and everything good--
in hieroglyphs

For the actions by the pharaoh Ptolemy V of the Rosetta Stone (196 BC), the gods reward him by (line R5)[6]

"....As a reward (for his deeds of kingship) these are given Him (by) the Gods (pictured with the Uraeus on the god-hieroglyphs (Ntr, Ntr, Ntr)):
Victory,
Strength (= Greek god Nike),
Life, Power (strength=prosperity), Health, (A.U.S.) and "Everything Good to the Fullest..."

Notes

  1. ↑ Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache 1, 193.8–198.10, 198.11–200.8
  2. ↑ Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache 1, 399.14–401.2
  3. ↑ Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache 1, 401.3–8
  4. ↑ Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache 4, 158.2–159.5
  5. ↑ Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache 4, 161.7
  6. ↑ The Rosetta Stone

References