Coptic Alphabet

- used from 4th century AD for writing the Coptic language
- it mainly uses greek letters
- letters for the sound which weren't used by Greeks are derived from Demotic script
- 31 letters



















This is how the signs are called (with transliteration below):
(follow in the table - from top to bottom)


1st column

alfa
a

beta
b, v

gamma
g

delta
d

eie
e

sou
(so)

zeta
z

eeta
ē

theta
th


2nd column

iota
i, y

kapa
k

lavla
l

mi
m

ni
n

exsi
ks, x

o
o

pi
p


3rd column

ro
r

sima
s

tav
t

epsilon
v, u, y

fi
ph, f

ki
kh

epsi
ps

oou
ō


4th column

shai
sh

fai
f

khai
h

hori
h

janja
g, j

chima
c, kj, ch

ti
ti

OpenGlyph - New Hieroglyph Software

"OpenGlyph is an Egyptian hieroglyph database useful for learn and translate ancient Egyptian texts."

OpenGlyph, made by J. A. G. Sanchez, is a new Hieroglyph Dictionary.
It has great search options. You can search for an English word or Egyptian (transliteration or Gardiner code), and you don't have to type all the letters - just the beginning, middle or end (useful when some signs canÂ’t be read).
Although it is written in Spanish, the options are quite simple and easy for use.

You can download it from here, free:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=159656&release_id=441130

Java is needed. It is based in JSesh.

OpenGlyph has an online database with more than 1000 text in MDC format:
http://openglyph.cvs.sourceforge.net/openglyph/openglyph/textos/

Egyptian Cartoushes

(Tutankhamun's cartouche)

- King's names were written inside of cartouches (sometimes the names of gods and queens who ruled as a pharaoh).
- It's form developed from the shen hieroglyph .
- They symbolized protection.
- First used by 3rd Dynasty ruler Huni.

Cartouches are written after titles -Son of Re-:




and -King of Upper and Lower Egypt- :





More info
- The Ancient Egyptian Cartouche
by Jimmy Dunn:
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/cartouches.htm