The hieroglyphic scripts are of a pictorial nature and the oldest written form of the ancient Egyptian language. Hieroglyphs represented consonants, or groups of consonants. Hieroglyphics can be used in two ways. As a direct representation, where the symbol means just what it shows. More often symbols were used phonetically, meaning it did not stand for itself, but for its name Some hieroglyphic symbols had more than one meaning, and each symbol had a distinct sound associated with it. There were no vowels in hieroglyphic writing, and more than one consonant were often symbolized. Hieratic and demonic writing developed out of hieroglyphic writing. As shown on the left, there are distinct similarities in writing hieroglyphic (bottom) and hieratic (top). .