Question: i have a question i hope you could help me with. I am trying to learn some basic hieroglyphics, but am stuck with some transliteration. I don't seem to understand parentheses used in transliteration at the end of some words, for instance: hb nb(t) Why is a t in parentheses? is it because they left out the little bread loaf in the picture? and nfr is written nfr(t) in transliteration, but there never was a t (or loaf), even in the hieroglyphic script.
im3h(y) why the parentheses? If there are more than one ways to spell this epithet, why not just use the one that appears in the glyphics? Is it so one is not confused, and think it is something else? and w'b, the little foot with a jug of spilling water on top is spelled w'b(t), but again, there is no loaf denoting a t sound. this is so confusing.

Answer: After a bit of ferriting around, I found this explanation. Try this explanation from a highly experienced translator I know:

Often in transliteration the full word is written out, even though the scribe has written a shortened version. The missing letter is in parentheses. In the case of nfr(t) it probably refers to a feminine word, so, as adjectives must agree in gender with their noun, the (t) is added to indicate the feminine. im3h - noun im3hy - verb When you think of the labourious nature of writing hieroglyphs, it is not unexpected that scribesÊwould have shortened words. Indeed in inscriptions, commonly used phrases like "may he (the king) be given life, health, dominion eternally", titles, and epithets were shortened, some to one, two three or four glyphs instead of writing out every letter. Of course, we both knew of the shortened practice already, we just didn't realise that the full word representation was expressed in transliteration.