The Nedj Nedj Databases: Introduction: 1.4 How the databases work

1.4 HOW THE DATABASES WORK

There are now tens of thousands of lines, or ‘records’, in the main Nedj Nedj Hierolex database. Here is part of one of them. It is the glyph sequence for ‘strong’ as recorded by Gardiner:

Fig. 1.41 neKHet presented in hieroglyphs font characters, sequentially

This is the sequence, but without going back to the source, it is unlikely to have been the arrangement. The glyphs were arranged by scribes in a variety of ways, to make the word look pleasing. Some glyphs were wide and thin, some tall and thin, some basically small, and they would typically be arranged for good visual effect. Sometimes the glyphs were stacked several high, but a stack of two glyphs was the most frequently met. So this group might have been arranged:

Fig. 1.42 neKHet presented as it would probably have often appeared in inscriptions

This arrangement was NOT achieved by the database but through a program available free on-line:

JSesh 6.3.2: JSesh is a free hieroglyph editor, written by S. Rosmorduc (serge.rosmorduc@qenherkhopeshef.org).

The sequence forms part of a record for which the following is the summary line generated by the Hierolex database:

Fig. 1.43 Summary line: neKHet: strong

The record shows the following:

“nḫt”: the original Gardiner transcription

neKHet: the same, after respelling according to a consistent system

“strong”: the original Gardiner translation

strong (victory): the modern translation

Gardiner: the source

[572.2:5] page number & column, and line number

<glyph names> : the names devised for the glyphs especially for this database

glyphs: the actual glyphs used to compose the word

The summary line above is a complex piece of typing, yet it was in fact done automatically by the database, it having been set up to achieve this result. The coding for the ‘summary’ is:

"(" & transcription & ":" & " " & If(prefix 1=""; "" ; prefix 1 & "-") & If(prefix 2=""; "" ; prefix 2 & "-") & If(respelt JS =""; "" ; respelt JS) & If(sfx DFX 1=""; "" ; "-" & sfx DFX 1) & If(sfx DFX 2=""; "" ; "-" & sfx DFX 2) & If(sfx tense=""; "" ; "-" & sfx tense) & If(postfix 1 =""; "" ; "-" & postfix 1) & If(sfx pronoun nom=""; "" ; "-" & sfx pronoun nom) & If(sfx pronoun acc =""; "" ; "-" & sfx pronoun acc) & If(postfix 2 =""; "" ; "-" & postfix 2) & If(pronoun free NOM =""; "" ; "-" & pronoun free NOM) & If(pronoun free ACC =""; "" ; "-" & pronoun free ACC) & ")" & Char(9) & Quote (meaning) & Char(9) & Eng JS main & " " & Eng suffix & " " & Eng JS adj & Char(9) & source & Char(9) & "[" & page & ":" & line & "]" & Char(9) & "<" & identity JS & ">" & Char(9) & If(glyphline transfer =""; "" ; glyphline transfer)

and this produces the desired result for all 20 000-plus records in the database.

In the summary lines, double quotation marks indicate that the entry captures the original record as closely as reasonably possible.

This sample neKHet record is now shown in detail:

Fig. 1.44 GLYPHS corner of the ‘Overview’ screen: display for neKHet record

This presents the glyphs, with their names in the pink bar at the top, the glyph images in the centre, then the Gardiner number that seems to be almost universally used, and finally the sound value in the yellow bar at the bottom. The third and fourth glyphs are ‘complementary’, confirming the sounds of the second (branch) glyph; while the last — a man with a stick — is a ‘determinative’ showing what the word is about: strength.

Basic information is presented in the main part of the record:

Fig. 1.45 nekhet record

which can be better appreciated if shown in its constituent parts:

• basic information

Fig. 1.46 nekhet record: the word and meaning

• source information

Fig. 1.47 nekhet record: source information: including page number (575), and column (2), and line (5)

• JSM meaning and glyph composition:

Fig. 1.48 nekhet record: EngJSM meaning, and glyph composition

The colours have little significance. They were applied to distinguish one field from another. There are a large number of fields. Not all fields are used for every entry or record. The colours are applied consistently across all databases. For example, grey is used for original recorded meaning, a lighter shade for subsidiary information. Brown is used for respelling; yellow for the standardised English (EngJSM), with shades of yellow (or pale green) for subsidiary parts of the standardised translation.