象しょう形けい

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

hieroglyphics; pictographic writing

Refers to ancient writing systems that use pictures to represent words or sounds, such as Egyptian hieroglyphs. Not limited to Chinese characters.

• エジプトの象しょう形けい文も字じは神しん聖せい文も字じとも呼よばれる。

  Egyptian hieroglyphics are also called sacred characters.

noun

pictograph; character representing an object

In the context of Chinese character classification (六書), one of the six categories: a character that originated as a stylized drawing of the object it represents, such as 山 (mountain) or 日 (sun).

See also: 六書

• 「山やま」は象しょう形けい文も字じの一ひとつで、山やまの形かたちからできた。

  "山" is one of the pictographic characters, derived from the shape of a mountain.