𓁶

Glyph origin
Representing a male head wearing a wig, in profile, typically bearded. The style of the wig varies by time period; the earlier style, from the Old Kingdom, is longer. Sometimes there is no beard. The skin is conventionally colored red; the hair is black; in detailed examples, the sclera is white and the eye and other facial features are outlined in black.

Usage notes
The reading of this sign (and the word and its derivatives) has recently been contested. Werning and others have suggested that the traditional reading of is wrong, with the New Kingdom reading more likely being, and the original reading conceivably either  or. However, other Egyptologists argue for the traditional reading, and indeed the bulk of the current evidence seems to point to the traditional value.