The ancient Egyptian Bread bun hieroglyph is Gardiner sign listed no. X1 for the side view of a bread bun. It is also the simple shape of a semicircle. The hieroglyph is listed under the Gardiner category of loaves and cakes.
The bread bun hieroglyph is used in the Ancient Egyptian language hieroglyphs for the alphabetic consonant letter t.Schumann-Antelme, and Rossini, 1998. Illustrated Hieroglyphics Handbook, uniliteral: U23, p. 62-63. A later alternative t, is a pestle, with curved top, Gardiner U33. U33
"Bread bun/semi-circle" as feminine determiner
Besides alphabetic-t, the bread bun is used for words that are feminine, as an end qualifying determinative, often shown before other qualifying ideograms or determinants in the hieroglyphic word block-(quadrat hieroglyphic block). It is one of the most frequently used signs in hieroglyphic writing.
Palermo Stone The t hieroglyph is used extensively throughout the Palermo Stone of the 24th to 23rd century BC, and it is used in the first row (Row I of VI), for the naming of King Tiu of Lower Egypt (a King of the North).
Palermo Stone, King Series, Row I (predynastic)
The following is the list of predynastic pharaohs (Nile Delta north) represented on the Palermo Piece of the 7–piece Palermo Stone: The sequence is in the proper order with the beginning Pharaoh on the right: (reading right-to-left, seven complete names pictured in year-registers):
Mekh, Wazner, Neheb, Thesh, Tiu (Tiu), Khayu, Hsekiu.
.G17:F32.M13:K5.N35:U14.V13:N39..X1*M17:G43..L6:E9.S29:D28 Owl...Papyrus...Ripple......Tether...Bread&Feather.Bivalve...Cloth Belly.....Fish......Plow........Lake.............Quail.........Newborn...Ka
Note: On the Palermo Stone all the hieroglyphs face in the other direction (Gardiner signs are only facing left; on the stone they face right (reading right-to-left)). The source of the following Pharaohs is only from this King List; a few have artifacts that further confirm their reign (the Double Falcon King). The pharaohs deficient in information are: Hsekiu, Khayu, Tiu (pharaoh), Thesh, Neheb, Wazner, Mekh.
The Egyptian hieroglyph alphabetic letters The following two tables show the Egyptian uniliteral signs. (24 letters, but multiple use hieroglyphs)
aG1yM17-M17'D36(w,u)G43BbPpMG17NN35RD21H1hH2HKh2F32SO34(Sh)=ŠN37Q/K2N29KkTtCh—TjV13DdDjI10L/(R)(special)(Ptolemaic, etc.)E23 -- -- -- --
ai(ee)yii ' ah, (aïn)w, (u)(oo)BPFMNRH1H2(Kh)1(Kh)2SSh(Sh)KemphaticKGTTjChTshDDj(additionally 4 for vert/horiz) -- -- -- -- --Aa15M(horiz)M2-PlinthS3N(vert)(see: N (red crown))S29S(vert)S (folded)cloth)M(3rd-M-2nd-vert)M3-Baker's tool(vertical)(additionally 3 for equivalents) -- -- -- -- --M17-M17-(2-reeds)is—Z4-(2-strokes)y2-Two strokesG43-(quail)is—Z7-(coil)letter w, u(see w2-Coil)U33T(no. 2)T2-Pestle
See also Gardiner's Sign List#X. Loaves and Cakes List of Egyptian hieroglyphs
References
Bibliography Schumann-Antelme, and Rossini, 1998. Illustrated Hieroglyphics Handbook, Ruth Schumann-Antelme, and Stéphane Rossini. c 1998, English trans. 2002, Sterling Publishing Co. (Index, Summary lists (tables), selected uniliterals, biliterals, and triliterals.) (softcover, )