Land, irrigated (hieroglyph)

The Egyptian hieroglyphic sign depicting irrigated land is typically represented by a rectangle divided into sections, often with wavy lines within those sections to indicate water channels. This glyph functions both as an ideogram and a determinative.

As an ideogram, the glyph directly represents a piece of land that is specifically under irrigation, denoting fields, gardens, or cultivated areas dependent on artificial watering systems rather than solely on rainfall. It carries the inherent meaning of fertile, productive land.

More commonly, the sign serves as a determinative, placed at the end of words to clarify their meaning. In this usage, it indicates that the preceding word refers to something related to land, agriculture, fields, or cultivation practices, particularly those involving irrigation. It is used to categorize words related to farming, cultivated plots, or areas made fertile through human-managed water distribution. The presence of this determinative helps distinguish between general terms for "land" and those that are specifically concerned with actively cultivated and watered fields.

The symbol underlines the importance of agriculture and water management in ancient Egyptian society and reflects the centrality of the Nile River's inundation and irrigation systems to their civilization's prosperity and stability. The glyph’s significance lies in representing a crucial aspect of ancient Egyptian life: the planned utilization of water resources to ensure agricultural success.