Expertlatin
- What is the point of boustrophedon?
- Where does the word boustrophedon come from?
- When was boustrophedon invented?
- What does boustrophedon tell us about the Greeks?
What is the point of boustrophedon?
Boustrophedon is an ancient way of writing manuscripts and other inscriptions in which, rather than going from left to right as in modern English, or right to left as in Arabic, alternate lines must be read in opposite directions.
Where does the word boustrophedon come from?
The word boustrophedon itself is formed from the Greek word for the ox or cow, bous, and the verb strephein, which means "to turn."
When was boustrophedon invented?
boustrophedon, the writing of alternate lines in opposite directions, one line from left to right and the next from right to left. Some Etruscan texts are written in boustrophedon style, as are some Greek ones of about the 6th century bc.
What does boustrophedon tell us about the Greeks?
Boustrophedon Writing
According to themselves, the ancient Greeks borrowed their alphabet from the Phoenicians. They then changed it to suit their needs, dropping letters that were not used in the Greek language, adding vowels and so on.
