"That's a great deal to make one word mean," Alice said in a thoughtful tone. "When I make a word do a lot of work like that," said Humpty Dumpty, "I always pay it extra."

Wednesday, 4 March 2009

Hieratic

Hieratic means priestly; associated with the priesthood or priests.

It can also refer to a cursive form of ancient Egyptian writing (used especially by the priests ).

A third meaning is 'adhering to fixed types or methods; highly restrained and formal'.

It comes from the Greek word meaning "sacred" .

“It gave him a look, hieratic, distinguished, and alien but he wore it unselfconsciously....” P D James

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