hieroglyphic
pronunciation
How to pronounce hieroglyphic in British English:
UK [ˌhaɪərə'ɡlɪfɪk]
How to pronounce hieroglyphic in American English:
US [ˌhaɪərəˈɡlɪfɪk, ˌhaɪrə-]
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- Noun:
- writing that resembles hieroglyphics (usually by being illegible)
- a writing system using picture symbols; used in ancient Egypt
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- Adjective:
- resembling hieroglyphic writing
- written in or belonging to a writing system using pictorial symbols
Word Origin
- hieroglyphic
- hieroglyphic: [16] Etymologically, hieroglyphic means ‘of sacred carving’. It came via French hiéroglyphique from Greek hierogluphikós, a compound of hierós ‘sacred’ and gluphé ‘carving’ (which derived from the same source as English cleave ‘split’). It was applied to the picture writing of the ancient Egyptians because this was used in sacred texts.=> cleave
- hieroglyphic
- 1580s (adj. and n.), from Late Latin hieroglyphicus, from Greek hieroglyphikos "hieroglyphic; of Egyptian writing," from hieros "sacred" (see ire) + glyphe "carving," from glyphein "to carve" (see glyph). Plutarch began the custom of using the adjective (ta hieroglyphika) as a noun.
Example
- 1. This symbol later evolved into a common hieroglyphic symbolizing victory .
- 2. His writing is so bad it just looks like hieroglyphic to me .
- 3. A record in hieroglyphic symbols .
- 4. The " feces " , I 've seen the most pictographic , hieroglyphic !
- 5. Dongba hieroglyphic is the only words still be used in the world