Lesson 7 MEDU NETER Alphabet owl m

Writing Medu Sign Sound M (moon)

Neter water n
The Kemites created one of the first writing systems in the world.
Vulture ah N (noon)
People didn’t always have a way to write A (father) rope oo
their words. About 10,000 years ago the foot b O (too)
ancient KEMITES began to draw pictures to
B (boot) mat p
represent different objects, such as a house
basket c/k P (pedestal)
or a table. Later they began to use symbols
C (basket) slope k
to represent ideas, such as life or beauty.
The language was called MEDU NETER, which hand d Q of hill (key)
D (dog) mouth r
means divine speech. This was one of the
first languages ever produced. reed i/e R (right)
i (filled) fo l d e d s
The MEDU NETER was written on different horned f S cloth (saw)
material, including papyrus, stone, and F viper (feel) bread t
wood. Papyrus is the first paper, and was
jar g T loaf (tap)
made by using reed leaves which were
G stand (go) quail oo
weaved together, and dried.
reed h U chick (too)
H shelter (hat) horned f
In English there are 26 letters in the
alphabet, but in the MEDU NETER there reed i/e V viper (feel)
are over 2,000 symbols. Some symbols I (filled) quail w
represents a single letter, while others may snake dj W chick (wet)
Before finding the represent a word or an idea. There are also J (adjust) animal ch
“Rosetta Stone” no symbols for numbers - including fractions. basket c/k X belly (??)
one knew how to read
K (basket) two reed y
the MEDU NETER. It was In the MEDU NETER there is no punctuation,
lion l Y leafs (mary)
carved in 196 BC. It such as a period or question mark. They
L (love) d o o r z
is written in three lan-
guages, including MEDU
generally didn’t write vowels, unless it was
necessary to read the words. It might sound
Z bolt (scissors)
NETER and Greek. Since confusing to read, but could you read the The "MEDU NETER Alphabet" also spelled as "Cathy". So in
people still speak Greek paragraph below without any punctuation table above attempts to show the translation, these have the
today, they could trans- and very few vowels? the MEDU NETER letter for each same MEDU NETER symbol. The
late the words to discov- English letter. Some sounds are same is true for "f" and "v". They
er the meaning of the CN YU RD THS PRGRPH IT HS NO PUNCTATN BT EVN
nearly identical. For example, sound different to us, but their
MEDU NETER, although it WTHOT TH PUNCTATN YU CN PRBBLY STLL UNDRSTND
"c" and "k" are nearly the same sound is very close. Try saying
took 30 years after its IT.
sound. The name "Kathy" is the two letters aloud, and you'll
discovery in 1799.
page 28 Ile Omode School Kemet - the World’s First Civilization page 29
 hear their similarity. Some sounds, such READING
as the symbol for "x" are not used in the Symbol Sign & QUESTIONS
English language. The MEDU NETER "x" is not Meaning 1. Describe how the MEDU NETR
pronounced "ch" as in cherry, but more as began?
if you're clearing your throat. top of a sandle 2. What was MEDU NETER written
(life) on? How many symbols are
The Kemites didn't simply write out each ANKH there in the MEDU NETER?
Writing letter when writing. Their writing system ancestor table 3. Do you think it would be
Fractions was much more complex. They developed HETEP (peace) difficult to read English with
One symbol that symbols which represented words or many no punctuation, and only a
looks like a fancy letters. (peace) few vowels? Explain your
IR
eye is called UDJAT. answer.
It had both religious The symbol of a guitar represented NEFER, hands stretched 4. In KEMET the word for bread
and mathemati- meaning pretty or beautiful, because of the to the sky began with a “T” so they
cal meanings. If sound the instrument makes. If you've ever KA
(spirit) used the symbol for bread
a doctor in KEMET noticed a person in church who is praying to represent “T”. What
wanted to tell a or very thankful to God, they'll often raise scarab bettle would you use for the letter
patient to take 1/4 their hands in the air. This must have also (to become) “T”. Think of something that
of some medicine happened in KEMET, because the symbol for KHEPER begins with the letter “T”,
that would write spirit, which is KA in the MEDU NETER, looks senet and draw a picture of your
just the eyeball. Or like someone raising their hands. game board symbol.
if a baba was going MEN
(stable) 5. Using the symbols to the
to leave 1/8 of his A very common name in KEMET was RA-MES, left, how would you write the
land to a son, the which means "born" (MES) from "God" (RA). tail phrase, “All life is beautiful”?
scribe would write This shows how most parents feel when (born) Don’t worry about “is”, and
1/8 using only the their children are born. They feel that God MES think of a word in the table
eyebrow. has given them this child. It was common bowl which could be used for
in Kemet to greet someone by saying HETEP, NEB (all) beautiful.
which is saying "peace". 6. Write your name using the
sitting man or
How do you think MEDU NETER alphabet. Be sure
woman
they would write Some symbols didn't represent any letters, (symbol for a
to end it with the correct
the fraction for 3/8? but helped to explain what the word meant. person)
symbol for man or woman.
Since 3/8 is equal For example, the symbol for a man, would
to 1/4 + 1/8 they be used at the end of a man's name. RA-MES sun PROJECTS
would write the would be written: RA (God or sun) 1. Write a letter to your
eyeball and the eye- parents in the MEDU NETER.
brow. guitar Give them the alphabet
See the DVD for MEDU NETER written on (pretty) table to decipher.
NEFER
stones.
page 30 Ile Omode School Kemet - the World’s First Civilization page 31