A Voice Offering… 𓉓
- WORDSWORTH WORDSMITHY
- Sep 7
- 2 min read
Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at the common funerary phrase: “A Voice Offering… 𓉓.”
“A Voice Offering… 𓉓” is a composite hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃, which is a single hieroglyphic symbol that is actually a combination of multiple symbols! The individual symbols do not lose their phonetic meaning when they become the composite hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃, instead they combine to just make a multi-consonant symbol! Composite hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 can be phonograms, ideograms, or determinatives too!
While a lot of the composite hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are combinations of two 𓏻 symbols, “𓉓” is actually a combination of four 𓏽 symbols! I like to think of composite hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 as a math equation:
𓉓 = 𓉐 + 𓊤 + 𓏑 + 𓏊
Here is the symbol name, (and sound value in parentheses) designated to each of the symbols that are part of 𓉓:
𓉐 – House Plan (pr)
𓊤 – Oar (ḫrw)
𓏑 – Bread (t)
𓏊 – Beer Jug (usually a determinative like in this case, but can be hnw on occasion)
𓉓 would be pronounced like “prt-ḫrw.”
In terms of meaning, “𓉓” is classified as an ideogram (a single symbol that takes on the meaning of a full word) for the phrase “invocation offering” or “voice offering” and is a part of the standard offering formula that is seen on stelae 𓎗𓅱𓆓𓉸𓏪, false doors, sarcophagi 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭𓏪/coffins 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱𓏦 and other funerary equipment 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭.
Why are bread 𓏑 and beer 𓏊 highlighted in such a popular inscription that persisted for thousands of years? Bread 𓏑 and beer 𓏊 were pretty much the staples of the ancient Egyptian diet and they needed enough food 𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏔𓏥 in the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 too!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.
