
Hieroglyphic
Ancient Origin
Understand that hieroglyphic refers specifically to ancient Egyptian symbols, not all ancient scripts.

Mayan glyphs are not called hieroglyphics because the term is Egyptian-specific.
Image-Based
Hieroglyphics often represent objects and ideas, similar to an elaborate picture code.

Hieroglyphics include images of animals, which could represent sounds or concepts.
Not Alphabetic
Remember that hieroglyphics are not a simple alphabet; each symbol can have multiple meanings.

A single hieroglyphic may represent a sound, word, or even a sentence.
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CharacteristicDescriptiveEmblematicFigurativeIconRepresentativeSymbolic
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