Hieroglyphs are a non-alphabetic writing system that records only the consonants of the Ancient Egyptian language using a mixture of logograms (signs that represent a word) and phonograms (signs that represent a sound). The signs are usually written from left to right, with no punctuation or spaces between words, but the direction of the writing is indicated by the direction of the signs, which face the start of the text. Many words end in picture signs called determinatives which
show what type of word it is. For example, the word for cat (miw) ends in a sign showing a cat. When the word is adapted into a woman's name as on this stela, the determinative of a seated woman is added to prevent confusion.