Boustrophedon

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌbuːstɹəˈfiːdən/

Definitions

1. A writing technique characterized by alternating line directions to create an effect similar to plowing a field back and forth
2. An ancient inscription method where lines are read in opposite directions to facilitate continuity in written texts
3. A script format where lines are inscribed dynamically, reversing direction each line so text flows back and forth across the page

Etymology: The Greek word "boustrophēdon" was an adverb meaning "turning like an ox," describing how an ox pulls a plough: down one furrow, turn at the field's edge, then back along the next. Ancient Greek writers applied the image to text written the same way, one line left to right, the next right to left, so that the reader's eye follows the ox's path across the page. Early Greek inscriptions were often written this way before left-to-right writing became standard. The word was built from "boûs," meaning "ox," and "strophḗ," meaning "turning," with the adverbial suffix "-ēdón." Its English use is a learned borrowing from that Greek adverb, and it is used now mainly by historians and linguists describing ancient scripts, such as early Greek and Etruscan inscriptions, rather than in everyday writing.

Synonyms: bidirectional writing, alternating direction writing