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ankh (AHNGK, ANGK) - n., a cross having a loop for its upper vertical arm.
Thanks, WikiMedia!
A hieroglyph representing the word ꜥnḫ, meaning life -- ankh is the English approximation of two consonantal sounds the language doesn't have (the Ꜥ is a voiced pharyngeal fricative, and ḫ is a voiced velar fricative). The word was to express a wish that a particular person live as well as an honorific for the pharaoh, and was a common decorative motif, including on funerary materials.
And that wraps up a theme week of words related to Egyptian mummies -- back next week with the usual chaotic mix of whatever's next in the queue.
---L.
Thanks, WikiMedia!
A hieroglyph representing the word ꜥnḫ, meaning life -- ankh is the English approximation of two consonantal sounds the language doesn't have (the Ꜥ is a voiced pharyngeal fricative, and ḫ is a voiced velar fricative). The word was to express a wish that a particular person live as well as an honorific for the pharaoh, and was a common decorative motif, including on funerary materials.
And that wraps up a theme week of words related to Egyptian mummies -- back next week with the usual chaotic mix of whatever's next in the queue.
---L.
