Meroitic: Difference between revisions
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{{wiktionary}} |
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The '''Meroitic period''' was approximately [[300 BC]] to [[400|400 AD]]. |
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'''Meroitic''' may refer to: |
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* things related to the city and kingdom of [[Meroë]] in pre-Islamic Sudan |
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The '''Meroitic script''' is an [[alphabet]] of Egyptian ([[Hieroglyph]]ic) origin used in Kingdom of [[Meroe|Meroë]]. Some scholars, e.g. [[Haarmann]], claim that [[Greek alphabet|Greek]] has also played a role in shaping this new alphabet. The script worked quite differently to the way Egyptian hieroglyphs worked. |
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* [[Meroitic alphabet]] |
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* [[Meroitic language]] |
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{{Disambiguation}} |
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There were 23 symbols in total, four vowels; |
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[[Category:Language and nationality disambiguation pages]] |
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/a/ (which was only used at the beginning of a word) |
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/e/ |
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/i/ and |
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/o/ |
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15 consonants = the vowel /a/; |
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/ya/ |
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/wa/ |
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/ba/ |
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/pa/ |
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/ma/ |
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/na/ |
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/ra/ |
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/la/ |
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/cha/(as in German ich) |
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/kha/(as in German [[Bach]]) |
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/ka/ |
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/qa/ |
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/sa/ or /sha/ |
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/ta/ |
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/da/ |
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and four syllabic letters; /n(y)e/, /se/, /te/ and /to/ |
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(there is dispute over whether or not /se/ represented a syllable or just the consonant /s/, as to distinguish it from /sh/). |
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The Meroitic script was a sort of [[abugida]], with the exception of the syllabic letters, if a vowel followed a consonant, it muted the inherent vowel /a/ and the consonant was pronounced with that vowel instead. There was no way to distinguish between an individual consonant or a consonant plus /a/. |
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Writing was from right to left, top to bottom or top to bottom in columns going from right to left. The hieroglyphic script used similar composition rules to Egyptian [[hieroglyphics]], the signs faced towards the end of a text towards the beginning like Egyptian. There was also a sign; three (horizontal or vertical) dots used to divide words or phrases, this was the only punctuation used. |
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There was also a form of hand writing, called demotic after its stylistic similarity to Egyptian [[demotic]], which used the same spelling system as the hieroglyphic script but was simplified to facilitate fast writing. The majority of Meroitic texts are written in demotic. |
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The '''Meroitic language''' was spoken in Meroë and the [[Sudan]], and is now extinct. It is not very well understood, due to the paucity of bilingual texts; the few words whose meanings have been confirmed are inadequate to determine its affiliation, but several linguists have tentatively suggested that it may be [[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]]. |
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==External link== |
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*[http://numibia.net/nubia/meroe.htm Information on the Meroitic State from the Nubia Museum] |
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Latest revision as of 21:27, 16 October 2020
Look up meroitic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Meroitic may refer to:
- things related to the city and kingdom of Meroë in pre-Islamic Sudan
- Meroitic alphabet
- Meroitic language
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Meroitic.
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