XXVII. How Speech

Hieroglyphics of Horapollo, tr. Alexander Turner Cory, [1840], at sacred-texts.com

p. 49

XXVII. HOW SPEECH.

 ¹

To denote speech they depict a TONGUE, and a BLOODSHOT EYE; because they allot the principal parts of speech to the tongue, but the secondary parts thereof to the eyes. For these kinds of discourses are strictly those of the soul varying in conformity with its emotions; more especially as they are denominated by the Egyptians as different languages. And to symbolize speech differently, they depict

p. 50

a TONGUE and a HAND BENEATH; allotting the principal parts of speech to the tongue to perform, and the secondary parts to the hand as effecting the wishes of the tongue.

Footnotes

49:1

I. Supposed by Mr. Wilkinson to represent three tongues, and to apply to the goddess of speech.

II. Champollion considered this as the tongue and hand alluded to: it is often found inscribed at the beginning of tablets; a position not tin frequently occupied by an eye. It appears as a title of Hor.