|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
hieroglyphs
hieroglyphs The signs used for formal inscriptions in ancient EGYPT. They were devised in about 3000 BC and were used, mainly for religious and monumental purposes, until the late 3rd century AD. They were representational in design, and were held to have near-magic powers. For practical purposes the structure of the script, as well as its form, was much too clumsy, and even cursive or ‘long-hand’ versions, the hieratic and demotic scripts, required long professional training to learn. Hieroglyphs have played an important part of archaeological research (ROSETTA STONE), extending written history by 2000 years beyond classical times. The term has been applied more loosely to other complicated but ornamental scripts used by the MINOAN civilization, the HITTITES, and the MAYA. See also WRITING.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"hieroglyphs." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hieroglyphs." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-hieroglyphs.html "hieroglyphs." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-hieroglyphs.html |
|
hieroglyphic
hi·er·o·glyph·ic / ˌhī(ə)rəˈglifik/ • n. (hieroglyphics) writing consisting of hieroglyphs. ∎ enigmatic or incomprehensible symbols or writing: tattered notebooks filled with illegible hieroglyphics. • adj. of or written in hieroglyphs. ∎ (esp. in art) stylized, symbolic, or enigmatic in effect. DERIVATIVES: hi·er·o·glyph·i·cal adj. hi·er·o·glyph·i·cal·ly adv. |
|
|
Cite this article
"hieroglyphic." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hieroglyphic." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hieroglyphic.html "hieroglyphic." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-hieroglyphic.html |
|
hieroglyphic
hieroglyphic pertaining to ancient Egyptian writing; sb. character in such picture-writing; symbolic or enigmatic figure. XVI. — F. hiéroglyphique or late L. hieroglyphicus — Gr. hierogluphikós, f. hierós sacred + gluphġ carving.
Hence, as back-formation or after F. hiéroglyphe, hieroglyph XVII. |
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "hieroglyphic." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "hieroglyphic." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-hieroglyphic.html T. F. HOAD. "hieroglyphic." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-hieroglyphic.html |
|
hieroglyphic
hieroglyphic
•Chadic, Cycladic, Helladic, maenadic, nomadic, sporadic, triadic
•heraldic • Icelandic • asdic
•bardic, Haggadic, Lombardic, Sephardic
•medic, paramedic, Samoyedic
•Wendic • Vedic
•comedic, cyclopedic, encyclopedic, medick, orthopaedic (US orthopedic)
•acidic, Druidic, hasidic
•dik-dik
•Indic, syndic
•aperiodic, episodic, geodic, melodic, methodic, monodic, parodic, periodic, prosodic, psalmodic, rhapsodic, Roddick, spasmodic, threnodic
•Nordic
•ludic, pudic
•Talmudic
•autobiographic, autographic, bibliographic, biographic, calligraphic, cartographic, choreographic, cinematographic, cryptographic, demographic, geographic, graphic, hagiographic, historiographic, holographic, hydrographic, iconographic, lithographic, monographic, orthographic, palaeographic (US paleographic), photographic, pictographic, pornographic, reprographic, Sapphic, seraphic, stenographic, telegraphic, traffic, typographic, xerographic
•Efik, malefic
•Delphic, Guelphic
•anaglyphic, beatific, calorific, colorific, hieroglyphic, honorific, horrific, Indo-Pacific, pacific, prolific, scientific, soporific, specific, terrific, transpacific, triglyphic
•catastrophic, dystrophic, philosophic, strophic, theosophic, trophic
•anamorphic, biomorphic, metamorphic, Orphic, polymorphic, zoomorphic
•Kufic, Sufic
•demagogic • yogic
|
|
|
Cite this article
"hieroglyphic." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "hieroglyphic." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-hieroglyphic.html "hieroglyphic." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-hieroglyphic.html |
|
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
