The Egyptian hieroglyph 𓄤 serves as a phonogram representing the triliteral consonant sequence nfr, and appears in Gardiner's sign list as number F35.
Form and appearance
The triliteral Egyptian hieroglyph F35 ('nfr') has sometimes been explained as a representation of a
lute; however, Egyptologists today no longer consider this hypothesis likely. Rather than a lute, the hieroglyph is actually a representation of the
heart and
trachea.
It originally may have been the
esophagus and heart. The striations of the
windpipe only appear in the hieroglyph following the Old Kingdom of Egypt. The lower part of the sign has always clearly been the heart, for the markings clearly follow the form of a
sheep's heart.
amulet, 11th-10th century BC, with nefer hieroglyph on the center left]]
at Karnak, 10th century BC, with nefer hieroglyph on the center left]]
form of nefer hieroglyph from 10th-11th dynasties]]
Use
The use of the hieroglyph
nfr in the word for "good, beautiful" is attested in Old Egyptian in the Pyramid Text of
Unas, where it could appear alone to represent the word, or with phonetic complements 𓂋 or 𓆑𓂋.
With this meaning, it was incorporated into many names in Ancient Egypt. Examples include Nefertiti, Nefertari, and Neferhotep I.
Some scholars suggest that it was used in ancient Egyptian construction where nfrw was used to denote 'level zero' of a building and in accounting where nfr would refer to a zero balance.
The hieroglyph was also used in a particle nfr meaning "not at all, not even" infrequently in Middle Egyptian.
See also
-
Gardiner's Sign List#F. Parts of Mammals
-
List of Egyptian hieroglyphs
