hieroglüüf

Hieroglüüf is the Estonian word for hieroglyph. Hieroglyphs are a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic, syllabic, and alphabetic elements, with the latter being reminiscent of the later Phoenician alphabet. Egyptians called it *mdw ntr*, meaning "the god's words". The word hieroglyph comes from the Greek adjective hieroglyphikos, meaning "sacred carved".

The earliest known use of hieroglyphs dates to the 32nd century BC. The system was used for religious texts, monumental inscriptions, and official documents. Hieroglyphs were typically written in rows or columns and could be read from left to right, right to left, or top to bottom. The direction of reading was determined by the orientation of the animate figures.

Over time, the use of hieroglyphs declined. By the 4th century AD, few Egyptians could read them. The knowledge of how to read and write hieroglyphs was lost until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799. This stone, inscribed with the same decree in three scripts (hieroglyphic, Demotic, and Greek), provided the key to deciphering the ancient Egyptian writing system. Jean-François Champollion is credited with the first successful decipherment in the 1820s.

Today, hieroglyphs are studied by Egyptologists and remain a fascinating window into ancient Egyptian culture, religion, and history. They are found on temples, tombs, statues, and papyri, preserving stories and beliefs for millennia.