Sail (hieroglyph)

The hieroglyph shows a hoisted sail, curved because of wind filling it.

It is used in Egyptian hieroglyphs as a determinative for words related to wind, air, breath, sailors, (as "nefu"), floods-(of the Nile), etc.

A replacement of the sekhem scepter held in the hand in vignettes from the Books of the Dead refers to obtaining life-giving 'breath' in the afterlife.

Other stick figured caricature examples show the mast and an ankh in each hand, both signifying a "breath (of) life".

Other spells in the Book of the Dead use the concept of 'breath' in even more storied forms and involving various gods.