Hieroglyphs Addenda · Signs

𓉻O29 · ꜥꜣ · wooden column, laid flat

great

Where it comes from

A wooden column, drawn lying on its side — architecture’s biggest single timber, flattened to fit the line. It writes ꜥꜣ, “great, big” — great of size: the great house (pr-ꜥꜣ, pharaoh), the great name, the great door.

How to remember it

Great is a column you could not lift — laid down so you can measure it. Where rank is meant, the swallow flies instead; where sheer size is meant, the column lies here.

In the wild

Piece by piece:

• Nfr — the man’s name, “Beautiful”
• rn-ꜥꜣ≡f — his great name: this column, certifying the formal one

Egyptians had big names and everyday names — the column marks the official article. The sign is taught in 102’s chapter 06.