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Glite Dictionary
boustrophedon

boustrophedon

1 9.9
A way of writing in which each line goes left to right then right to left
  • noun
  • /ˌbuːstrəˈfiːdən/
  • Specialized
: boustrofedón
  • The unique style of writing used by the Romans included boustrophedon, which allowed them to read lines in opposite directions.

Examples

  • "Say I create two shadows, identical in everything, except in one the writing in books is boustrophedon, like the ancient Greeks did it, with alternate lines going right to left."

    Fiction book (1994)

  • In ancient manuscripts, the text was often written in boustrophedon, alternating lines from left to right and then right to left.

  • Many scholars study boustrophedon inscriptions to understand the writing techniques of ancient civilizations.

Surface Forms

boustrophedon singular
boustrophedons plural

Etymology

Boustrophedon comes from the Greek words bous and strophē, meaning 'ox' and 'turning'. Think of an ox plowing a field and turning at the end of each row. Writing in boustrophedon goes left-to-right then right-to-left, so the lines alternate direction.