βουστροφηδόν

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From βοῦς (boûs, “ox”) +‎ στροφή (strophḗ, “turn”) +‎ -ηδόν (-ēdón, “in the manner of”).

Pronunciation

 

Adverb

βουστροφηδόν • (boustrophēdón)

  1. boustrophedon: a manner of writing which alternated between left to right and right to left directions (similar to the back and forth pattern of someone plowing a field with an ox); an intermediate between the inherited right to left direction used by Semitic languages and the left to right direction ultimately used in later Greek.

Descendants

  • → Catalan: bustrofèdon
  • → English: boustrophedon

References

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