Question

What was a form of early Egyptian writing called?

Answer 1

Hint: At least four times and locations independently developed writing: Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, and Mesoamerica. The earliest record of phonetic writing in Egypt dates from around 3250 BC, and the earliest known full sentence in Egyptian is from around 2690 BC.
The origin of alphabetic writing can be traced back to the 2nd millennium BCE consonantal writing system used by Semitic languages in the Levant. Its roots can be traced back to a Proto-Sinaitic script created in Ancient Egypt to represent the Semitic language of Egyptian workers and slaves.

Complete answer:
- The ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphs, a distinctive script that is still used today, for nearly 4,000 years (Greek for "sacred words"). Hieroglyphs were written on papyrus, carved in stone on tomb and temple walls, and embellished a variety of cultic and everyday artifacts.
- A hieroglyph is a character used in a pictorial writing system, particularly in the type found on ancient Egyptian monuments. While hieroglyphic symbols may represent the artifacts they depict, they are most commonly used to represent specific sounds or groups of sounds.
- The Greek term hieroglyph, which means "sacred carving," is a translation of the Egyptian expression "the god's words," which was used during the early Greek contacts with Egypt to differentiate older hieroglyphs from contemporary handwriting (demotic).
- Other writing systems, such as Hieroglyphic Hittite, Mayan hieroglyphs, and early Cretan, have been included in modern use. There is no connection between Egyptian hieroglyphs and these other scripts; the only known descendant of Egyptian writing is the Meroitic script.

Note: Hieroglyphic writing is a writing system that uses characters that resemble pictures. Individual symbols, known as hieroglyphs, may be interpreted as images, symbols for objects, or symbols for sounds. The Egyptians invented the pictorial language. These distinct figures first appeared in 3000 BCE, marking the beginning of Egyptian civilization. Egyptian script was more than a sophisticated form of picture-writing, despite being based on pictures.