Gallifreyan symbols
Some Gallifreyan language was expressed in an intricate circular visual form (TV: The End of the World [+]Loading...["The End of the World (TV story)"], The End of Time [+]Loading...["The End of Time (TV story)"], et al.) referred to as Gallifreyan symbols.[nb 1] (PROSE: Time Lord Technology [+]Loading...["Time Lord Technology (feature)"], Wild Blue Yonder [+]Loading...["Wild Blue Yonder (novelisation)"])
Frequently seen Gallifreyan symbols
There were several sets of Gallifreyan symbols which appeared with frequency during the Doctor's travels, most often due to being part of Gallifreyan technology used by the Doctor, including their TARDIS.
Standalone symbols
Some Time Lords wore a Time Lord Seal which had intricate markings on it resembling other Gallifreyan symbols. (TV: The Sound of Drums [+]Loading...["The Sound of Drums (TV story)"])
The Seal of Rassilon, which was often seen in the same contexts as more English-like Gallifreyan writing systems, (TV: The Deadly Assassin [+]Loading...["The Deadly Assassin (TV story)"], et al.) could be integrated into a string of Gallifreyan symbols. (TV: The Timeless Children [+]Loading...["The Timeless Children (TV story)"])
Sets of symbols
One set of complex distinct symbols which appeared together appeared prominently on the console and operating system of the TARDIS control room used by the Ninth (TV: Rose [+]Loading...["Rose (TV story)"], The Unquiet Dead [+]Loading...["The Unquiet Dead (TV story)"], et al.) and later Tenth Doctors. (TV: The Runaway Bride [+]Loading...["The Runaway Bride (TV story)"], Human Nature [+]Loading...["Human Nature (TV story)"], et al.) One symbol from this set, which represented the Gallifreyan solar system, (REF: The Visual Dictionary [+]Loading...["The Visual Dictionary (reference book)"]) notably appeared on the back of Chameleon Arch fobwatches. (TV: Human Nature [+]Loading...["Human Nature (TV story)"], et al.)
Another, simpler set of symbols appeared prominently throughout the Eleventh Doctor's first control room, (TV: The Eleventh Hour [+]Loading...["The Eleventh Hour (TV story)"], et al.) as well as on some Gallifreyan technology. (TV: Vincent and the Doctor [+]Loading...["Vincent and the Doctor (TV story)"], Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS [+]Loading...["Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS (TV story)"], The Day of the Doctor [+]Loading...["The Day of the Doctor (TV story)"])
A set of interlocking symbols appeared on the Doctor's cot, (TV: A Good Man Goes to War [+]Loading...["A Good Man Goes to War (TV story)"]) which by some accounts appeared in other locations. (GAME: Season 9 [+]Loading...["Season 9 (video game)"])
A set of 18 symbols appeared on the sides of three spinning roundels near the ceiling of the TARDIS control room used by the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors. (TV: The Snowmen [+]Loading...["The Snowmen (TV story)"], et al.) These symbols appeared in many other locations, (TV: The Day of the Doctor [+]Loading...["The Day of the Doctor (TV story)"], Face the Raven [+]Loading...["Face the Raven (TV story)"], et al.) even used as notation for space-time coordinates by non-Gallifreyans. (WC: Prequel to Asylum of the Daleks [+]Loading...["Prequel to Asylum of the Daleks (webcast)"], TV: The Name of the Doctor [+]Loading...["The Name of the Doctor (TV story)"])
Another type of Gallifreyan symbols used a consistent language of lines, dots, and concave curves within a circle which acted as letters for words which could be read. (TV: Extremis [+]Loading...["Extremis (TV story)"], Empress of Mars [+]Loading...["Empress of Mars (TV story)"], COMIC: Origins [+]Loading...["Origins (comic story)"], et al.)
The Thirteenth Doctor's TARDIS control room used two similar yet distinct types of symbols: thicker symbols contained within untouching unbroken circles which appeared on physical interfaces and thinner, more complex characters which overlapped when written together which appeared on screens and as decoration. (TV: The Ghost Monument [+]Loading...["The Ghost Monument (TV story)"], Demons of the Punjab [+]Loading...["Demons of the Punjab (TV story)"], et al.) Both these sets of symbols appeared in the next TARDIS control room, with the Fourteenth Doctor using the thicker, contained symbols on his screens. (TV: The Star Beast [+]Loading...["The Star Beast (TV story)"], Wild Blue Yonder [+]Loading...["Wild Blue Yonder (TV story)"])
Infrequently seen Gallifreyan symbols
The Master's ring had Gallifreyan symbols on it. (TV: Last of the Time Lords [+]Loading...["Last of the Time Lords (TV story)"])
The inside of the biodata module fobwatchs contained an intricate Gallifreyan symbol not seen elsewhere. (TV: The Family of Blood [+]Loading...["The Family of Blood (TV story)"])
During planning for the Final Sanction, the Visionary wrote her prophecies as a series of interlocking symbols for the High Council. One of these symbols represented "Earth".
A symbol appeared on the centre of the High Council's table. The same symbol appeared on the TARDIS scanner after the Tenth Doctor's regeneration when it was exploding and crashing to Earth. (TV: The End of Time [+]Loading...["The End of Time (TV story)"])
Footnotes
- ↑ This is the standard term for these symbols in scripts and other production material.
