hieratic
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hieratic
- /ˌhaɪ(ə)ˈɹætɪk/
Where it comes from
From Latin hieraticus, from Ancient Greek ἱερατικός (hieratikós), from ἱερατεία (hierateía, “priesthood”), from ἱερατεύω (hierateúō, “be a priest”), from ἱερεύς (hiereús, “priest”), from ἱερός (hierós, “sacred”).
Use pertaining to the Egyptian writing system originates with the Greek phrase γράμματα ἱερατικά (grámmata hieratiká, literally “priestly writing”), which was first used by Saint Clement of Alexandria in the 2nd century AD, as at that time hieratic was used only for religious texts, as had been the case for the previous thousand years.
adjective
-
Of or pertaining to priests or other religious authorities, especially pharaonic priests of Ancient Egypt.
In sculpture and in the drama, in Aristophanic farce and in hieratic rituals, in pictorial art and in the stream of literature, the phallus is transcendent.
Similar: sacerdotal, priestly
- Of or pertaining to the cursive writing system that developed alongside the hieroglyphic system as its ordinary handwritten counterpart. The papyrus was written in hieratic, a cursive form of hieroglyphics.
- Extremely stylized, restrained or formal; adhering to fixed types or methods; severe in emotional import. Some of the more hieratic sculptures leave the viewer curiously unmoved.
noun hieratics
- A writing system used in pharaonic Egypt that was developed alongside the hieroglyphic system, primarily written in ink with a reed brush on papyrus, allowing scribes to write quickly without resorting to the time consuming hieroglyphs.
Translations
Every language
adj of or pertaining to priests
| Español | hierático |
|---|---|
| Português | hierático |
| Deutsch | hieratisch |
| Italiano | sacrale, ieratico, sacerdotale |
| Ελληνικά | ιερατικός ieratikós |
| Русский | свяще́ннический svjaščénničeskij |
adj of or pertaining to the cursive writing system developed by ancient Egyptian priests
| Español | hierático |
|---|---|
| Português | hierático |
| Français | hiératique |
| Deutsch | hieratisch |
| Italiano | ieratico |
Talk about this word "hieratic." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/hieratic. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. hieratic. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/hieratic "hieratic." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/hieratic.Cite this
@misc{hieratic_2026,
title = {hieratic},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/hieratic},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
