The ancient Egyptian writing system is at once pictorial, phonetic and symbolic. The number of hieroglyphic symbols are thought to vary from seven hundred up to seven thousand during the Ptolemaic period. Some hieroglyphs represent both a word and a sound. Ideograms portray idealized objects, such as domestic animals, houses, or birds, while phonograms are signs representing words. The designation of hieroglyph as gods derives from annual rituals of the consecration of tombs.
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Egyptian language--Writing, Hieroglyphic Search this
