phonetic determinative
A "phonetic determinative" is a symbol in certain writing systems, notably ancient Egyptian, that aids in pronunciation but cannot stand alone.
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Definition
C2Ancient Egyptian Writing
(technical, academic)A type of hieroglyph that represents a series of consonants and must be used with other phonograms to convey the same consonants.
Example
- In ancient Egyptian texts, phonetic determinatives are used to clarify the pronunciation of words.
C2Linguistics
(technical, academic)A symbol in a writing system that indicates how a word or part of a word should be pronounced, often to differentiate homophones.
Example
- Phonetic determinatives help readers understand the correct pronunciation in logographic scripts.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "phonetic determinative":