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NAHKREAD.ME
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1994-08-09
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Congratulations !
You have got your hands on one of the most original fonts available, wether
thru the shareware circuit or else.
Nahkt was the name of a famous scribe, hence the name of this font.
It works pretty much like most of our foreign fonts : each key bears the
character closest to the phonetics of the hieroglyph. Therefore, if you wanted
to write your name, in most of the cases, typing it would normaly create a
readable aproximation of the Egyptian glyphs.
Scientists and Egyptologists may find this set of symbols rather limited. Of
course, the purpose here is not at all to re-create a full hieroglyphs
dictionnary, but rather to help computerists discover one of the most ancient
ways of writing. As a matter of fact, it is quite an intellectual enjoyment to
be able to use on one of the most modern means of communications these symbols,
originated long before our alphabet.
Hieroglyphs where usualy written downways, and right to left. Rule was,
animals and humans would face the reader. In other words, if a sentence where
to be read right to left, beings where facing left. However, the "right to
left" rule was not always used. Sometimes, left-to-right was prefered.
Therefore, this font contains both ways for each hieroglyph. It is much easier
for our usual systems.
Sometimes, a noun would be encased in a box. Pretty much like (this), except
parenthesis would be joined by upper and lower bars. This font offers the
possibility of encasing characters. First type in 8 (left "parenthesis"),
followed by the symbol you want to encase, and immediatly after, "9". This
symbol is treated by the computer as a "non forwarding character" which prints
as bars, but does not push the cursor to the right. For each glyph, you should
repeat the 9 in order to encase it, top and bottom. At the end of the
sentence, type in ";" to close the box. That way of treating nouns was used
for important persons, usualy high priest of Pharaos.
I lurned most of these details in a unique and enriching little book, which I
strongly recommand if you feel like lurning more about this way of writing :
"Hieroglyphs. The writing of Ancient Egypt", from Atheneum, New York. For a
very minimal price, you will be able to lurn how to write in hieroglyphs, how
scribes of the ancient times used to lurn their job, and how Champollion
decoded the mystery of these scriptures, during the 19th century.
I hope you enjoyed this font. It is available thru the best shareware
distributors and on-line services, in Macintosh or Windows True-Type or
PostScript type 1 format. It is shareware. In other words, if you find it of
interest and decide to use it regularly, please register. Look into the
accompanying files : among registration for $20, you will get 50 new fonts for
your enjoyment. You will in the process help a shareware author pay the rent,
and also get the best deal on original fonts, not found anywhere else in the
galaxy.
Michel Bujardet, Match Software. July 4th, 1994.
PS : We provide several fun and educational fonts for kids of all ages.
Ask your shareware distributor, or look for Dinosotype, a font where
letters are replaced by dinosaurs. DINOS_TT and DINOS_T1 filenames,
DIN_T1 & DIN_TT on Compuserve, DTP and several other fine forums.