I'm currently preparing a new JSesh release, with few new functionalities, but some new texts and glyphs.
In particular, I'm integrating parts of Peter Dils' comments. Only a part, mainly because of my limited human resources... I also need time to code JSesh, Ramses, teach computing, and do a bit of deep learning too.
Dr. Dils commented about the current headdress of A49, which in fact doesn't fit Gardiner's description : Syrian seated holding stick.
I decided to oblige, as the sign's headdress in the font looked like a nemes, which was obviously not a good idea. Looking for other sources, my first move was to see if H. G. Fischer had said something about it in Ancient Egyptian Calligraphy (p. 17). This led me to draw a few variants of A49.
The three signs I have modified are available in the JSesh library
- A49
- corresponds to the sign used in Gardiner's font;
- A49B
- according to Fischer this is the standard version of the sign before the New Kingdom. The MdC fonts have already A295 which is somehow similar, but with a different stance. However, I suppose it might be a completely different sign in some cases (for instance the god Šw, or a ptolemaic writing of the phonetic value šw).
- A49C
- this is sign shape referenced by Gardiner (and Fischer) in the Urk. IV. I have checked a photo of Thutmosis III's Poetic Stela, Urk. IV., 614, and I can confirm that the sign drawn by Sethe is faithful to the original. Note that the throwstick is reversed viz. the one help by the sign in the font.
I need to pounder which one I would choose as the “official” A49, and whether or not I would include the other variants in the basic JSesh font. I haven't decided on the second point. As of now, I will be conservative and keep A49B and A49C out of JSesh standard library.
I will keep a shape very close to the one in Gardiner font for A49 . Weirdly, the source given by Gardiner (Urk. IV, 614) is a bit different from the sign in its font, and looks closer to A49C. However, looking at the Thot sign list, and especially at token
TSL_3_22142, proved that the shape in Gardiner font does exist.
A last point: both in the TLS, with token TSL_3_26133, in the Ramses database, and in quite a few JSesh encoded texts, A quick search for A49 has shown me that it was often used by encoders instead of A48 A48. The question of whether or not the confusion between the two signs occurred in actual Ancient Egyptian texts remains open.
So, I would urge you to consider using A48 for ꞽry, and to reserve the use of A49 and its possible variants for foreigners.