How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Step-by-Step Guide to Teach Yourself, Revised Edition

Both experts in Egyptology (Collier teaches Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, and Manley teaches the subject at the University of Glasgow), they explain how most hieroglyphs are used to convey the sound of the ancient Egyptian language, then go on to teach, in easily digestible segments, the basic phonograms (sound-signs) used in inscriptions a traveler or museum-goer would be most likely to encounter. Each chapter teaches a new portion of hieroglyphic script and a new aspect of the Middle Egyptian grammar, with a section to practice the new reading skills and exercises to solidify the lessons taught. It provides a wonderful opportunity to sit at home and learn about the pharaonic administration, ancient Egyptian family life, and the Egyptian way of death, while building a firm understanding of the most common features of hieroglyphs. --Stephanie Gold

Product Description
Hieroglyphs are pictures used as signs in writing. When standing before an ancient tablet in a museum or visiting an Egyptian monument, we marvel at this unique writing and puzzle over its meaning. Now, with the help of Egyptologists Mark Collier and Bill Manley, museum-goers, tourists, and armchair travelers alike can gain a basic knowledge of the language and culture of ancient Egypt.
Collier and Manley's novel approach is informed by years of experience teaching Egyptian hieroglyphs to non-specialists. Using attractive drawings of actual inscriptions displayed in the British Museum, they concentrate on the kind of hieroglyphs readers might encounter in other collections, especially funerary writings and tomb scenes. Each chapter introduces a new aspect of hieroglyphic script or Middle Egyptian grammar and encourages acquisition of reading skills with practical exercises.
The texts offer insights into the daily experiences of their ancient authors and touch on topics ranging from pharaonic administration to family life to the Egyptian way of death. With this book as a guide, one can enjoy a whole new experience in understanding Egyptian art and artifacts around the world.

Actually, the information blurb from the Library Journal linked to the book's entry here states: 'Reference collections desiring more complete coverage will want Alan Gardiner's Egyptian Grammar (1957. 3d ed.) despite some obsolescence in the treatment of the verbal system.'

I actually learned hieroglyphs using that text at the University of London in the 1980s. But I have assembled a collection of more accessible books on how to learn hieroglyphs as refreshers and for sharing. I have four texts, and this was the first of the lot.

If you are truly interested in learning Egyptian hieroglyphs for an upcoming trip to Egypt or to visit a museum with a collection (I amazed a friend once by being able to read an inscription at the museum; I confessed that of the hundreds of 'paragraphs' of hieroglyphs in the collection, that that was one of only two I could decipher without my notebook), Collier and Manley's 'How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs' is a good choice for learning.

It begins with a basic description of the way in which hieroglyphs are used (some signs are words, but actually very few, and others are sound-meaning symbols). Collier and Manley introduce a transliteration system to ease your way into pronunciation (and pronunciation is very sketchy, given the fact there are no recordings from ancient Egypt). Symbols can vary occasionally for sound, meaning, and determinative value.

The pattern of hieroglyphs is also variable. Generally, you always want to 'read into the face', i.e., the picto-glyphs will be facing the direction from which to start -- more often right to left than left to right, and columns go top to bottom. There are no punctuation marks and no word breaks -- this can make meanings hard to decipher.

Consider the example:

IAMNOWHERE
which could be broken into
I AM NOW HERE
or
I AM NOWHERE
and in this case, context might not help provide which meaning is the true one. Or perhaps the author is poetical and sees the trouble of distinction and means that trouble to be present.

No wonder hieroglyphs are hard!

Collier and Manley's book is excellent in basic vocabulary building and basic grammar. And, if you're like me and will make flash cards, you'll become a better draw-er too.

There are exercises, and pictures of inscriptions to practice on, and a key to the exercises in the back of the book.


Best introduction to hieroglyphics available!   July 11, 1998
64 out of 64 found this review helpful

This book fills the gaping hole between the large reference grammars such as Gardiner's, the popular introductions that don't really teach any of the language, and the out-of-date material by Budge.

Written at the British Museum, this is a textbook for learning to read hieroglyphs such as you find on the walls of a museum. It is not a complete grammar and won't teach you how to read complex literture, but will give you a complete enough command of the language to read most common material.

The book is well-printed and nicely bound, and is small enough to take to the museum with you! It contains a wealth of material, a glossary, king lists, and information about Egyptian gods.

Many of the exercises are drawings or pictures of wall paintings or carvings, making the book fun to use. Answers to exercises are given at the back.

If you don't know which hieroglyphic book to pick, this is the one!


Full of detail and examples, a bit hard to follow   August 4, 2000
Heath L. Buckmaster (Sacramento, CA USA)
31 out of 32 found this review helpful

This is an excellent book to give the reader an introduction to studying or learning the ancient egyptian heiros. The book goes into a lot of detail about transliteration, and making the images turn into sounds. It does a good job explaining that the words are more about sounds than actual individual meanings. I found it a bit difficult to follow all the transliteration of sounds, and had to keep referring back to the charts to remember meaning (especially when you start using all the tick marks, and letter combinations). Otherwise, for those who are studying to be egyptologists, or really want to know how words may have been pronounced, this is an excellent start.


Extremely well written, but...   May 3, 2000
LOSCHI FABRIZIO (Treviso ITALY)
23 out of 24 found this review helpful

I agree that this book is excellent. It offer the best available basic introduction to Middle Egyptian with a sign list, exercises and a small dictionary.

Once finished, you are likely to read independently most offering formulas located in tombs and coffins. However once you will venture out of these almost standardised inscriptions, it is going to be very difficult to understand; It is quite impossible you will be able to read inscriptions from the Late Period. I studied the book with care and later I tried to read Ushabtis from the XXVI Dyn: I could not even recognise most signs.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a general introduction to Egyptian, this is the book to buy. If you need a deeper knowledge, you must buy the Gardiner.


This is the book to get you started!   October 8, 1998
22 out of 22 found this review helpful

So far it is the best introduction to reading Middle Egyptian I have seen. It is ideal for studying at home in your own pace and in your own time and, maybe the most important feature, all by yourself.

The examples are actual writings taken from stelae from the British Museum, so you learn the real stuff, no messing around with artificial examples.

It is not an exhaustive and in depth course for the Middle Egytian language, but is the best way to get you started. I recommend it to every one who is interested in Middle Egytian, but does not know where to start.