Paleography
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 The study of old or ancient forms of writing. US, countable, uncountable
"Paleography might teach men to read documents, diplomatics to date them and to test their authenticity; but the full significance of an ancient deed might easily escape the most exact paleographer and the most accomplished diplomatist, for the want of that finished sense for legal technicality which is the natural fruit of a conveyancing practice."
- 2 the study of ancient forms of writing (and the deciphering of them) wordnet
- 3 Ancient scripts or forms of writing themselves, as uncial, scriptio continua, or methods of using papyrus scrolls. US, countable, uncountable
- 4 Paleogeography. US, countable, obsolete, uncountable
Example
More examples"Paleography might teach men to read documents, diplomatics to date them and to test their authenticity; but the full significance of an ancient deed might easily escape the most exact paleographer and the most accomplished diplomatist, for the want of that finished sense for legal technicality which is the natural fruit of a conveyancing practice."
Etymology
From paleo- + -graphy; imitating Latin palaeographia for the first sense and French paléographie and paléogéographie for the second and third senses.
Related phrases
More for "paleography"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.