Demotic

Demotic
    A cursive script developed from business Hieratic and introduced towards the end of the seventh century BC, demotic also had a distinctive grammar and new vocabulary. Mainly used for legal and administrative documents but also for some literary works, it replaced hieratic (now employed mainly for religious literature) and hieroglyphs (now confined to inscriptions on stone). For almost a thousand years, it was the only widespread writing form in general use.
Biographical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt by Rosalie and Antony E. David
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   Term derived from the Greek for the cursive Egyptian script, which was derived from and then superseded hieratic from the Saite Period. It was used primarily on papyri and ostraca but also occasionally on carved stone, notably theRosetta Stone. Use of the script declined following the Roman conquest as it was no longer recognized in the courts and solely used by priests. The last known text has been found in the temple of Philaedated to 452 AD.
   See also Hieroglyphic.
Historical Dictionary Of Ancient Egypt by Morris L. Bierbrier

Ancient Egypt. A Reference Guide. . 2011.

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  • Demotic — De*mot ic, a. [Gr. dhmotiko s, fr. dh^mos the people: cf. F. d[ e]motique.] Of or pertaining to the people; popular; common. [1913 Webster] {Demotic alphabet} or {Demotic character}, a form of writing used in Egypt after six or seven centuries… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Demotic — (Greek for of the people or folkish ) may refer to: Demotic Greek, a variety of the Greek language Demotic (Egyptian), a script and stage of the Egyptian language This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an …   Wikipedia

  • demotic — ► ADJECTIVE 1) (of language) used by ordinary people; colloquial. 2) relating to demotic Greek. ► NOUN 1) the form of modern Greek used in everyday speech and writing. 2) demotic language. ORIGIN Greek d motikos, from d …   English terms dictionary

  • demotic — demótic adj. m., pl. demótici; f. sg. demótică, pl. demótice Trimis de siveco, 10.08.2004. Sursa: Dicţionar ortografic  DEMÓTIC, Ă adj. Scriere demotică = denumire dată scrierii egiptene cursive populare. [< fr …   Dicționar Român

  • demotic — [dē mät′ik] adj. [ML demoticus < Gr dēmotikos < dēmotes, one of the people < dēmos: see DEMOCRACY] 1. a) of the people; popular; specif., VERNACULAR (sense 2) b) in or of idiomatic, colloquial, everyday language [a novelist with a good… …   English World dictionary

  • demotic — 1822, from Gk. demotikos of or for the common people, in common use, from demos common people, originally district, from PIE *da mo division, from root *da to divide (see TIDE (Cf. tide)). In contrast to HIERATIC (Cf. hieratic). Originally of the …   Etymology dictionary

  • demotic — [[t]dɪmɒ̱tɪk[/t]] 1) ADJ Demotic language is the type of informal language used by ordinary people. [FORMAL] ...television s demotic style of language. Syn: colloquial 2) ADJ: usu ADJ n Demotic is used to describe something or someone that is… …   English dictionary

  • demotic — 1. adjective a) Of or for the common people. demotic script is a simplified, cursive form of hieroglyphs used in ancient egypt. b) Of, relating to, or written in the vulgar form of ancient Egyptian hieratic writing. demotic Greek …   Wiktionary

  • demotic — /di mot ik/, adj. 1. of or pertaining to the ordinary, everyday, current form of a language; vernacular: a poet with a keen ear for demotic rhythms. 2. of or pertaining to the common people; popular. 3. of, pertaining to, or noting the simplified …   Universalium

  • demotic — adjective Etymology: Greek dēmotikos, from dēmotēs commoner, from dēmos Date: 1822 1. of, relating to, or written in a simplified form of the ancient Egyptian hieratic writing 2. popular, common < demotic idiom > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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