Hand (hieroglyph)


The ancient Egyptian Hand 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.

Iconographic usage

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. 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!

Rosetta Stone usage as word: "hand"

The Hand as hieroglyphic also forms the word for 'hand' in the Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic language: "ţet." In line 13,, one of ten ways for honoring the Pharaoh Ptolemy V was to:
In the 1st half of the Rosetta Stone,, 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:... "they led astray- the nomes."

The Egyptian hieroglyph alphabetic letters

The following two tables show the Egyptian uniliteral signs.
a
G1
i
M17
y
M17-M17

D36

G43
B
b
P
p
F
f
M
G17
N
N35
R
D21
H1
h
H2
H
Kh1
Aa1
Kh2
F32
S
O34

N37
Q/K2
N29
K
k
G
g
T
t
ChTj
V13
D
d
Dj
I10
L/
'
E23
----------

ai
y
ii
'
ah,
w,
B
PFMNRH1
H212SSh
K
emphatic
KGTTj
Ch
Tsh
DDj
----------
Aa15
M
M2-Plinth
S3
N
S29
S
S

M
M3-Baker's tool
----------
M17-M17-
is—Z4-
y2-Two strokes
G43-
is—Z7-
letter w, u
U33
T
T2-Pestle