What does hieroglyphic writing system use instead of alphabetic letters
The hieroglyphic writing system uses symbols or pictographs instead of alphabetic letters. These symbols represent objects, sounds, or ideas.
The hieroglyphic writing system used by ancient Egyptians used pictorial symbols instead of alphabetic letters. These symbols, known as hieroglyphs, represented objects, animals, people, and abstract concepts. Rather than spelling out words, hieroglyphs conveyed meaning by combining these symbols in different arrangements. The system included over 700 different hieroglyphs, covering a wide range of concepts and ideas.
The hieroglyphic writing system used by the ancient Egyptians does not use alphabetic letters, but rather a combination of symbols and pictographic representations. Instead of singular letters, hieroglyphs consist of various symbols that represent different ideas, objects, or sounds. These symbols are categorized into three main types: phonetic glyphs, logographic glyphs, and determinatives.
Phonetic glyphs, also known as phonograms, represent sounds or syllables. They function in a similar way to the letters in an alphabet. For example, the hieroglyph for a human mouth represents the sound "r" and the hieroglyph for a lion represents the sound "L." Hieroglyphic writing also includes determinatives, which are symbols that indicate the meaning or category of the word being written.
Logographic glyphs are pictorial representations of specific words or concepts. They do not represent specific sounds, but rather standalone words. For example, the hieroglyph for a sun can represent the word "sun" itself. These logographic glyphs are often used in combination with phonetic glyphs to form more complex words and ideas.
To decipher hieroglyphic writing and determine what a hieroglyph represents, scholars often rely on the context of the surrounding words, as well as knowledge of ancient Egyptian language and grammar. Over time, researchers have developed dictionaries and databases to aid in the interpretation of hieroglyphs and understanding their meanings.