Questions and Answers

Lesson One Questions And Answers

Question: How is Hapy Pronounced?

Hapi/Hapy

The Hieroglyph for Hapy is:

The transliteration is:

Reading Order of Signs: Left to right, then top to bottom

1st Sign (Left) - looks like twisted rope - is the sign for h (though a more throaty/emphatic h)

2nd Sign (Top Right) - arm and hand - is the sign for ayin a sound which doesn't occur in English its a throaty gurgle like saying a while swallowing

3rd Sign (middle Left) - block/square/mat - is the sign for p (p as in pet)

4th Sign (middle right) - two diagonal lines - is an simplification of the two feathers/reeds sign for y

5th Sign (bottom right) - is a determinative sign and is not pronunced but gives an idea of sense of the written hieroglyphs. In this case it is the sign for a canal.

Transliteration is a special set of characters for writing hieroglyphs.

I would say Hapy is pronunced happy, though the Ancient Egyptian would have sounded quite different - though you might hear it pronunced different ways; when trying to vocalise Ancient Egyptian words, you will hear lots of different pronunciations.

Is Hapi, the same one that is represented in the canopic jars?

No, that is a different Hapi, the Hapi on the canopic jars is one of the four sons of Horus, the others being Imsety, Duamutef and Qebehsenuef.