Hieroglyph

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Hieroglyph (Greek ἱερογλύφος "sacred carving") or hieroglyphics ( = τὰ ἱερογλυφικά [γράμματα]) may refer to:

• Egyptian hieroglyphs
• Cursive hieroglyphs
• Dongba script
• more generally, a character of any logographic or partly logographic writing system.
• Cretan hieroglyphs
• Anatolian hieroglyphs
• Hieroglyphic Luwian
• Mayan hieroglyphs
• Olmec hieroglyphs
• Mi'kmaq hieroglyphic writing
• a Chinese character

Contents 1 Origin 2 See also 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Origin

"Hieroglyphs" refer to the characters made by graphical figures, be it animals, objects, or concepts.

The characters that are relatively old seem to originate from Sumer or Elam in Mesopotamia^{[citation needed]}. The hieroglyphs that were originally used for recording agricultural products and handicrafts led to the birth of linear and cuneiform script, widely used by the Sumerians, Assyrians and Babylonians. 5000 years ago, Ancient Egyptians had started to use other Hieroglyphs in a separate way. The features that are visually well arranged about heavenly bodies, natural phenomena, animals and plants, God, humans, residences and households were used for 3000 years for recording Egyptian. Ancient Greeks called this system Hieroglyphs, literally "sacred writings", because it was mainly used by religious functionaries who doubled as government bureaucrats.

[edit] See also

• Glyph
• Character (sign)
• Sememe
• Hieroglyphica
• Writing in Ancient Egypt
• Bronze Age writing
• List of hieroglyphs

[edit] References

• Allen, James P. (2001). Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521774833. OCLC 51226851. 
• Brewer, Douglas J.; Teeter, Emily (2007). Egypt and the Egyptians. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521851503. OCLC 433993212. 
• Kamrin, Janice (2004). Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Practical Guide. New York: Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 9780810949614. OCLC 55019226. 
• Robinson, Andrew (2007). The Story of Writing: Alphabets, Hieroglyphs & Pictograms. London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 9780500286609. OCLC 172818065. 

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hieroglyphs

Look up hieroglyph or hieroglyphic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Futuristic Abstract Hieroglyphs
• Discussion of modern use of hieroglyphs
• How the Alphabet Was Born from Hieroglyphs Biblical Archaeology Review