Lettre à M. Dacier, ... relative à l'alphabet des hiéroglyphes phonétiques

8

the name of Ptolemy (1) with that of the Philae obelisk, which we considered, according to the Greek inscription, to contain the name of Cleopatra (2).

The first sign of the name Cleopatra, which takes the form of a kind of quarter-circle, and which would represent the K, should not be found in the name of Ptolemy: and indeed, it is not there.

The second, a recumbent lion which must represent the L original: "$Λ$" is completely similar to the fourth sign of the name of Ptolemy, which is also an L original: "$Λ$ (Ptol)".

The third sign of the name Cleopatra is a feather or leaf which would represent the short vowel E; one also sees at the end of the name of Ptolemy two similar leaves which can only have, given their position, the value of the diphthong AI, of the Greek ending AIOS.

The fourth character of the hieroglyphic cartouche of Cleopatra, representing a kind of flower with its curved stem, would correspond to the O of the Greek name of this queen. It is indeed the third character of the name of Ptolemy original: "Pto".

The fifth sign of the name Cleopatra, which has the form of a parallelogram and which must represent the P original: "$Π$", is likewise the first sign of the hieroglyphic name of Ptolemy.

The sixth sign corresponding to the vowel A of CLEOPATRA is a hawk, and is not seen in the name of Ptolemy, which indeed should be the case.

(1) See my plate I, number 22.
(2) See my plate I, number 24.