paleography

[ pey-lee-og-ruh-feeor, especially British, pal-ee- ]

noun

1. ancient forms of writing, as in documents and inscriptions.
2. the study of ancient writing, including determination of date, decipherment, etc.

Other Words From

• pale·ogra·pher noun
• pa·le·o·graph·ic [pey-lee-, uh, -, graf, -ik, pal-ee-], pale·o·graphi·cal adjective
• pale·o·graphi·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of paleography¹

First recorded in 1810–20; paleo- + -graphy

Example Sentences

They virtually unfolded the letters so the paleography team could read the words, and so Starza Smith and I could read the creases to better understand the locking patterns.

From MIT Technology Review

Indian paleography protests in every one of its new discoveries against the hasty conclusions of the Orientalists.

From Project Gutenberg

He was the author of numerous works, chiefly on paleography.

From Project Gutenberg