In the ancient Egyptian language , the Nile is called '' Ḥ ` pī '' or `` Iteru '' , meaning `` river '' , represented by the hieroglyphs shown on the left ( literally `` itrw '' , and ` waters ' determinative ) .
In the ancient Egyptian language , the Nile is called '' Ḥ ` pī '' or `` iteru '' , meaning `` great river '' , represented by the hieroglyphs shown on the right ( literally `` itrw '' , and ` waters ' determinative ) .