What does Fish sign mean in ancient Egyptian language?

 

The fish sign is one of the distinctive signs appearing in many forms, including this one known as Tilapia. 

 

It is pronounced "ien" and was included in many words, including "ienet" (the species of Tilapia) and "ienb" which means "wall",  and "ient" meaning "valley" from which came the name for the Festival of the Valley "heb-ienet”.

 

The festival was a celebration of the dead in Thebes during the New Kingdom.

 

 

During the celebration, the barque of the god Amun would travel from Karnak to the West Bank of Luxor to visit the funerary temples of the kings.