Lion-reclining (hieroglyph)

Lion (as Sphinx) in hieroglyphs

Game token, Old Kingdom; (other set pieces are "Dog-reclining": 3+3, 6 pieces).

The Ancient Egyptian Lion-reclining hieroglyph, or the "Sphinx hieroglyph" is Gardiner sign listed no. E23 for the sphinx, the "reclining lion".

The crouched lion hieroglyph is used in Egyptian hieroglyphs as a biliteral for rw-(ru); also an ideogram for 'lion'. It is also a phonogram for rw, and later r.

The lion-reclining hieroglyph is also used in the Egyptian language for the alphabetic consonant letter l, or r, a uniliteral, depending on the timeperiod.

Preceded by God Ra --- r'

lion-reclining "sphinx" --- rw-(ru)-(bil.)

Succeeded by bowstring (hieroglyph) --- rwdj-(rudj)-(tril.)

• 

  Ptolemy cartouche

• 

  Counterpoise (Menat and counterpoise), a counterpoise amulet

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  Karnak, Temple of Khonsu

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  wood panel of Hesy-Ra
  (1 of 7)

The Egyptian hieroglyph alphabetic letters

The following two tables show the Egyptian uniliteral signs. (24 letters, but multiple use hieroglyphs)

a	i	y	'	(w,u)	B
P	F	M	N	R	H1
H2	Kh1	Kh2	S	(Sh)=Š	Q/K2
K	G	T	Ch—Tj	D	Dj
L/(R) (special) (Ptolemaic, etc.)	--	--	--	--	--

a	i (ee)	y ii	' ah, (aïn)	w, (u) (oo)	B
P	F	M	N	R	H1
H2	(Kh)1	(Kh)2	S	Sh (Sh)	K emphatic
K	G	T	Tj Ch Tsh	D	Dj
(additionally 4 for vert/horiz)	--	--	--	--	--
M (horiz) M2-Plinth	N (vert) (see: N (red crown))	S (vert) S (folded) cloth)			M (3rd-M -2nd-vert) M3-Baker's tool (vertical)
(additionally 3 for equivalents)	--	--	--	--	--
(2 reeds) is— (2 strokes) y2-Two strokes	(quail) is— (coil) letter w, u (see w2-Coil)		T (no. 2) T2-Pestle

See also

• Gardiner's Sign List#P. Ships and Parts of Ships

References

• Betrò, 1995. Hieroglyphics: The Writings of Ancient Egypt, Betrò, Maria Carmela, c. 1995, 1996-(English), Abbeville Press Publishers, New York, London, Paris (hardcover, ISBN 0-7892-0232-8)
• Schumann-Antelme, and Rossini, 1998. Illustrated Hieroglyphics Handbook, Ruth Schumann-Antelme, and Stéphane Rossini. c 1998, English trans. 2002, Sterling Publishing Co. (Index, Summary lists (tables), selected uniliterals, biliterals, and triliterals.) (softcover, ISBN 1-4027-0025-3)