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Glite Dictionary
📜 In Egyptian script 📜 Egyptian writing ⛪ Priestly 🎭 Very formal
hieratic

hieratic

9.9
A quick handwritten Egyptian script used by priests for religious texts
  • noun
  • /haɪəˈrætɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : escritura hierática
  • Unlike hieroglyphics, hieratic was written more quickly and used by priests for everyday administrative work.

Examples

  • The priest carefully copied the ancient texts in hieratic onto strips of papyrus.

  • Researchers have found temple accounts written in hieratic dating back three thousand years.

  • The hieratic script was essential for recording religious texts.

  • Scholars study hieratic to understand ancient Egyptian religion.

  • The priest carefully copied the ancient texts in hieratic onto strips of papyrus.

  • Researchers have found temple accounts written in hieratic dating back three thousand years.

  • Scholars study hieratic to understand ancient Egyptian religion.

Synonyms

hieratic script
vshieratic
  • Specialized
9.9

A fast, flowing form of ancient Egyptian writing used by priests for religious and official texts

is the same meaning but expressed in a shorter name without the extra noun

Compounds

hieratic script
  • Specialized
9.9

A fast, flowing form of ancient Egyptian writing used by priests for religious and official texts

Surface Forms

hieratic singular
hieratics plural

Etymology

The word hieratic comes from the Greek root hier- meaning 'sacred' or 'priestly', the same root you see in hieroglyph. It originally named the quick, priestly handwriting of ancient Egypt, so hieratic now means that cursive script used by priests.