# Gardiner's sign list

Gardiner's sign list is a list of common Egyptian hieroglyphs compiled by Sir Alan Gardiner. It is considered a standard reference in the study of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
Gardiner lists only the common forms of Egyptian hieroglyphs, but he includes extensive subcategories, and also both vertical and horizontal forms for many hieroglyphs. He includes size-variation forms to aid with the reading of hieroglyphs in running blocks of text. In contrast, for example, the Budge Reference has about 1,000 hieroglyphs listed in 50 pages, but with no size variations.
Gardiner does not cross-index signs; once a sign is put on one of his lists, other significant uses may be overlooked. One example of this is 𓅒 G16, nbtỉ, the ideogram for the Two Ladies, goddesses Wadjet as the cobra and Nekhbet as the white vulture. These are the protective and patron goddesses of the separate Egyptian kingdoms that joined into ancient Egypt, who were both then displayed on the uraeus of Wadjet when the unification occurred and afterward considered jointly to be the protectors of Egypt and the pharaohs. This ideogram is listed only in the bird list (G), and overlooked on the deity list (C) and the reptile list (I).
Other subcategories included by Gardiner are abbreviations and personalized forms, and also a complete subset, used on papyrus, specifically for the Book of the Dead.

## Categories
### A. Man and his occupations

56 signs in Gardiner (1957:242–247), with A59 "man threatening with stick" inserted after A25 "man striking with left hand hanging behind back", and two variants A14* "blood interpreted as ax" of A14 "man with blood streaming from his head"; and A17* "child sitting with arms hanging down" of A17 "child sitting with hand to mouth".
| A1 | A2 | A3 | A4 | A5 | A6 | A7 | A8 | A9 | A10 |
| A11 | A12 | A13 | A14 | A15 | A16 | A17 | A18 | A19 | A20 |
| A21 | A22 | A23 | A24 | A25 | A26 | A27 | A28 | A29 | A30 |
| A31 | A32 | A33 | A34 | A35 | A36 | A37 | A38 | A39 | A40 |
| A41 | A42 | A43 | A44 | A45 | A46 | A47 | A48 | A49 | A50 |
| A51 | A52 | A53 | A54 | A55 | A56 | A57 A57 | A58 A58 | A59 | A60 A60 |

### B. Woman and her occupations

7 signs in Gardiner (1957:448).
| B1 | B2 | B3 | B4 | B5 | B6 | B7 | B8 | B9 | B10 |
| B11 | B12 |

### C. Anthropomorphic deities

11 signs in Gardiner (1957:448f.) with the addition of five 19th Dynasty signs, C12 Amun, C17 Mont, C18 Tjanen, C19 and C20 Ptah.
| C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 | C5 | C6 | C7 | C8 | C9 | C10 |
| C11 | C12 | | | | | C17 | C18 | C19 | C20 |

### D. Parts of the human body

Expected quantity: 63
| D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | D10 |
| D11 | D12 | D13 | D14 | D15 | D16 | D17 | D18 | D19 | D20 |
| D21 | D22 | D23 | D24 | D25 | D26 | D27 | D28 | D29 | D30 |
| D31 | D32 | D33 | D34 | D35 | D36 | D37 | D38 | D39 | D40 |
| D41 | D42 | D43 | D44 | D45 | D46 | D47 | D48 | D49 | D50 |
| D51 | D52 | D53 | D54 | D55 | D56 | D57 | D58 | D59 | D60 |
| D61 | D62 | D63 | D64 D64 | D65 D65 | D66 D66 | D67 D67 | D68 D68 | D69 D69 | D70 D70 |

### E. Mammals

Expected quantity: 34
| E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 |
| E11 | E12 | E13 | E14 | E15 | E16 | E17 | E18 | E19 | E20 |
| E21 | E22 | E23 | E24 | E25 | E26 | E27 | E28 | E29 | E30 |
| E31 | E32 | E33 | E34 | E35 E35 | E36 E36 | E37 E37 | E38 E38 | E39 E39 | E40 E40 |

### F. Parts of mammals

Expected quantity: 52
| F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | F6 | F7 | F8 | F9 | F10 |
| F11 | F12 | F13 | F14 | F15 | F16 | F17 | F18 | F19 | F20 |
| F21 | F22 | F23 | F24 | F25 | F26 | F27 | F28 | F29 | F30 |
| F31 | F32 | F33 | F34 | F35 | F36 | F37 | F38 | F39 | F40 |
| F41 | F42 | F43 | F44 | F45 | F46 | F47 | F48 | F49 | F50 |
| F51 | F52 | F53 F53 | F54 F54 | F55 F55 | F56 F56 | F57 F57 | F58 F58 | F59 F59 | F60 F60 |

### G. Birds

Expected quantity: 54
| G1 | G2 | G3 | G4 | G5 | G6 | G7 | G8 | G9 | G10 |
| G11 | G12 | G13 | G14 | G15 | G16 | G17 | G18 | G19 | G20 |
| G21 | G22 | G23 | G24 | G25 | G26 | G27 | G28 | G29 | G30 |
| G31 | G32 | G33 | G34 | G35 | G36 | G37 | G38 | G39 | G40 |
| G41 | G42 | G43 | G44 | G45 | G46 | G47 | G48 | G49 | G50 |
| G51 | G52 | G53 | G54 | G55 G55 | G56 G56 | G57 G57 | G58 G58 | G59 G59 | G60 G60 |

### H. Parts of birds

Expected quantity: 8
| H1 | H2 | H3 | H4 | H5 | H6 | H7 | H8 | H9 H9 | H10 H10 |

### I. Amphibious animals, reptiles, etc.

15 signs in Gardiner (1957:475f).
| No. | Unicode | phon. | description | usage, notes |
| I1 | 𓆈 U+13188 | ꜥšꜣ | lizard | "lizard" |
| I2 | 𓆉 U+13189 | | freshwater turtle | štjw "turtle" |
| I3 | 𓆊 U+1318A | ı͗t | crocodile | "crocodile" (ḫntj), "be greedy; lust after" (ḥnt), "voracious, angry", (ꜣd) |
| I4 | 𓆋 U+1318B | | crocodile on a shrine | Sobek |
| I5 | 𓆌 U+1318C | | crocodile with inward curved tail | "collect, gather" (sꜣq) |
| I6 | 𓆎 U+1318E | km | piece of crocodile-skin with spines | as phonogram in kmt "Egypt", skm "grey-haired" |
| I7 | 𓆏 U+1318F | | frog | "frog" (qrr), Heqet, ideogram in wḥm-ꜥnḫ "repeating life" |
| I8 | 𓆐 U+13190 | ḥfn | tadpole | |
| I9 | 𓆑 U+13191 | f | horned viper | |
| I10 | 𓆓 U+13193 | ḏ | cobra in repose | |
| I11 | 𓆕 U+13195 | ḏḏ | two cobras | |
| I12 | 𓆗 U+13197 | | cobra erect | Uraeus (iꜥrt), Nesret |
| I13 | 𓆘 U+13198 | | I12 + V30 | "goddess" |
| I14 | 𓆙 U+13199 | | snake | "snake" (ḏdft), "serpent" (ḥfꜣw) |
| I15 | 𓆚 U+1319A | | variant of I14 | |

### K. Fish and parts of fish

Expected quantity: 7
| K1 | K2 | K3 | K4 | K5 | K6 | K7 | K8 K8 | K9 K9 | K10 K10 |

### L. Invertebrates and lesser animals

Expected quantity: 7
| L1 | L2 | L3 | L4 | L5 | L6 | L7 | L8 L8 | L9 L9 | L10 L10 |

### M. Trees and plants

44 signs in Gardiner (1957:478–484).
| M1 | M2 | M3 | M4 | M5 | M6 | M7 | M8 | M9 | M10 |
| M11 | M12 | M13 | M14 | M15 | M16 | M17 | M18 | M19 | M20 |
| M21 | M22 | M23 | M24 | M25 | M26 | M27 | M28 | M29 | M30 |
| M31 | M32 | M33 | M34 | M35 | M36 | M37 | M38 | M39 | M40 |
| M41 | M42 | M43 | M44 |

### N. Sky, earth, water

42 signs in Gardiner (1957:485–492). N3 is an Old Kingdom variant of N2. N11 "moon" has vertical (increscent and decrescent) variants, N12 is a 19th-Dynasty variant of N11.
| No. | Unicode | phon. | description | usage, notes |
| N1 | 𓇯 U+131EF | pt | sky | |
| N2 | 𓇰 U+131F0 | grḥ | sky with sceptre | det. for "darkness" |
| N3 | 𓇱 U+131F1 | as N2 | variant of N2 | Old Kingdom variant of N2 |
| N4 | 𓇲 U+131F2 | | moisture falling from the sky | "dew", "rain" |
| N5 | 𓇳 U+131F3 | rꜥ | sun | Main article: Ra |
| N6 | 𓇴 U+131F4 | rꜥ | sun with uraeus | 19th Dynasty |
| N7 | 𓇵 U+131F5 | | N5 + T28 | ẖrt-hrw "day-time" |
| N8 | 𓇶 U+131F6 | wbn | sunshine | Usually depicted with three rays, older variants may also have four rays. Determinative for e.g. pḥḏ "to shine, illumine" and wbn "rise"; from this latter case, it can also take the phonetic value of wbn when standing on its own, e.g. in wbn "wound". Alternatively, it is either a determiner or ideogram for ḥnmmt, the name of the "sun folk" of Heliopolis (Gardiner p. 486). A depiction with four rays is found on an ivory wand of c. 2100 BC: The "Sun with rays" hieroglyph is shown once, placed upon the head of a ram. It has a central dot, like the "Sun" hieroglyph (N5), with four elongated, undulating vertical rays. See also Aten. |
| N9 | 𓇷 U+131F7 | psḏ | moon with its lower half obscured | 18th Dynasty |
| N10 | 𓇸 U+131F8 | as N9 | variant of N9 | 18th Dynasty |
| N11 | 𓇹 U+131F9 | | crescent moon | |
| N12 | 𓇺 U+131FA | | variant of N11 | 18th Dynasty |
| N13 | 𓇻 U+131FB | | half of N11 + N14 | "half-month festival" |
| N14 | 𓇼 U+131FC | | star | |
| N15 | 𓇽 U+131FD | | star in circle | |
| N16 | 𓇾 U+131FE | | N18 + 3 x N33 | "earth, land" (flat alluvial land with grains of sand) |
| N17 | 𓇿 U+131FF | | variant of N16 | as N16 |
| N18 | 𓈀 U+13200 | ı͗ | sandy tract | "island" |
| N19 | 𓈃 U+13203 | | 2 x N18 | in ḥr-ꜣḫty "Horus-of-the-Horizon" |
| N20 | 𓈄 U+13204 | | tongue of land | "sand bank, shore" |
| N21 | 𓈅 U+13205 | | tongue of land | "bank, region" (in "two banks" = "Egypt") |
| N22 | 𓈆 U+13206 | | tongue of land | Old Kingdom predecessor of both N20 and N21 |
| N23 | 𓈇 U+13207 | | irrigation canal | differentiation of N36 |
| N24 | 𓈈 U+13208 | | land with irrigation tunnels | "district, nome" |
| N25 | 𓈉 U+13209 | | hills | "hill-country, foreign land" |
| N26 | 𓈋 U+1320B | ḏw | mountain | |
| N27 | 𓈌 U+1320C | | sun rising over mountain | "horizon" |
| N28 | 𓈍 U+1320D | ḫꜥ | sun rising over hill | |
| N29 | 𓈎 U+1320E | q | sandy hill-slope | |
| N30 | 𓈏 U+1320F | | mound with shrubs | "mound" |
| N31 | 𓈐 U+13210 | | road bordered by shrubs | "road" |
| N32 | 𓈑 U+13211 | | lump of clay or dung | Old Kingdom |
| N33 | 𓈒 U+13212 | | grain of sand | |
| N34 | 𓈔 U+13214 | | metal ingot | |
| N35 | 𓈖 U+13216 | n | ripple of water | variant "three ripples" 𓈗 U+13217 |
| N36 | 𓈘 U+13218 | | water channel | |
| N37 | 𓈙 U+13219 | | pool | "pool" |
| N38 | 𓈛 U+1321B | | variant of N37 | more detailed drawing of N37 |
| N39 | 𓈜 U+1321C | | garden pool full of water | variant of N37 |
| N40 | 𓈝 U+1321D | | N37 + D54 | "go" |
| N41 | 𓈞 U+1321E | bı͗ꜣ | well full of water | "well" |
| N42 | 𓈟 U+1321F | | variant of N41 | as N41 |

### O. Buildings, parts of buildings, etc.

51 signs (with variants, U+13250–1329A).
| O1 | O2 | O3 | O4 | O5 | O6 | O7 | O8 | O9 | O10 |
| O11 | O12 | O13 | O14 | O15 | O16 | O17 | O18 | O19 | O20 |
| O21 | O22 | O23 | O24 | O25 | O26 | O27 | O28 | O29 | O30 |
| O31 | O32 | O33 | O34 | O35 | O36 | O37 | O38 | O39 | O40 |
| O41 | O42 | O43 | O44 | O45 | O46 | O47 | O48 | O49 | O50 |
| O51 |

### P. Ships and parts of ships

Expected quantity: 11
| P1 | P2 | P3 | P4 | P5 | P6 | P7 | P8 | P9 | P10 |
| P11 | P12 P12 | P13 | P14 P14 | P15 P15 | P16 P16 | P17 P17 | P18 P18 | P19 P19 | P20 P20 |

### Q. Domestics and funerary furniture

Expected quantity: 7
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Q5 | Q6 | Q7 | Q8 Q8 | Q9 Q9 | Q10 Q10 |

### R. Temple furniture and sacred emblems

Expected quantity: 25
| R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 |
| R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16 | R17 | R18 | R19 | R20 |
| R21 | R22 | R23 | R24 | R25 | R26 R26 | R27 R27 | R28 R28 | R29 R29 | R30 R30 |

### S. Crowns, dress, staves, etc.

Expected quantity: 45
| S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | S6 | S7 | S8 | S9 | S10 |
| S11 | S12 | S13 | S14 | S15 | S16 | S17 | S18 | S19 | S20 |
| S21 | S22 | S23 | S24 | S25 | S26 | S27 | S28 | S29 | S30 |
| S31 | S32 | S33 | S34 | S35 | S36 | S37 | S38 | S39 | S40 |
| S41 | S42 | S43 | S44 | S45 | S46 S46 | S47 S47 | S48 S48 | S49 S49 | S50 S50 |

### T. Warfare, hunting, and butchery

Expected quantity: 35
| T1 | T2 | T3 | T4 | T5 | T6 | T7 | T8 | T9 | T10 |
| T11 | T12 | T13 | T14 | T15 | T16 | T17 | T18 | T19 | T20 |
| T21 | T22 | T23 | T24 | T25 | T26 | T27 | T28 | T29 | T30 |
| T31 | T32 | T33 | T34 | T35 | T36 T36 | T37 T37 | T38 T38 | T39 T39 | T40 T40 |

### U. Agriculture, crafts, and professions

41 signs.
| U1 | U2 | U3 | U4 | U5 | U6 | U7 | U8 | U9 | U10 |
| U11 | U12 | U13 | U14 | U15 | U16 | U17 | U18 | U19 | U20 adze on block stp "cut", "choose" (stp-n-rꜣ "chosen of Ra") |
| U21 | U22 | U23 | U24 | U25 | U26 | U27 | U28 | U29 | U30 |
| U31 | U32 | U33 | U34 | U35 | U36 | U37 | U38 | U39 | U40 |
| U41 |

### V. Rope, fiber, baskets, bags, etc.

40 signs (38 in Gardiner 1957). V39 is the Tyet or "Knot of Isis". V40 is the numeral 10 in dates.
| V1 | V2 | V3 | V4 | V5 | V6 | V7 | V8 | V9 | V10 |
| V11 | V12 | V13 | V14 | V15 | V16 | V17 | V18 | V19 | V20 |
| V21 | V22 | V23 | V24 | V25 | V26 | V27 | V28 | V29 | V30 |
| V31 | V32 | V33 | V34 | V35 | V36 | V37 | V38 | V39 | V40 V40 |

### W. Vessels of stone and earthenware

25 signs.
| W1 | W2 | W3 | W4 | W5 | W6 | W7 | W8 | W9 | W10 |
| W11 | W12 | W13 | W14 | W15 | W16 | W17 | W18 | W19 | W20 |
| W21 | W22 | W23 | W24 | W25 |

### X. Loaves and cakes

8 signs.
| X1 t feminine | X2 | X3 bread | X4 | X5 bread, food | X6 loaf (pAt) | X7 half-loaf (gSw) | X8 conical loaf; "give" (di, imi) |

### Y. Writings, games, music

8 signs.
| Y1 Papyrus roll-tied | Y2 | Y3 Scribe equipment | Y4 | Y5 | Y6 board game piece | Y7 | Y8 Sistrum |

### Z. Strokes, signs derived from Hieratic, geometrical figures

11 signs.
| Z1 | Z2 | Z3 | Z4 | Z5 | Z6 | Z7 | Z8 | Z9 | Z10 |
| Z11 |

### Aa. Unclassified

31 signs in Gardiner (1957).
| Aa1 | Aa2 | Aa3 | Aa4 | Aa5 | Aa6 | Aa7 | Aa8 | Aa9 | Aa10 |
| Aa11 | Aa12 | Aa13 | Aa14 | Aa15 | Aa16 | Aa17 | Aa18 | Aa19 | Aa20 |
| Aa21 | Aa22 | Aa23 | Aa24 | Aa25 | Aa26 | Aa27 | Aa28 | Aa29 | Aa30 |
| Aa31 | Aa32 | Aa33 Aa33 | Aa34 Aa34 | Aa35 Aa35 | Aa36 Aa36 | Aa37 Aa37 | Aa38 Aa38 | Aa39 Aa39 | Aa40 |
| Aa41 | Aa42 Aa42 | Aa43 Aa43 | Aa44 Aa44 | Aa45 Aa45 | Aa46 Aa46 | Aa47 Aa47 | Aa48 Aa48 | Aa49 Aa49 | Aa50 Aa50 |

## Unicode

These hieroglyphs have unicode code points and so, given a suitable font, can be displayed or printed. The block starts at U+013000 for A001.