Petroglyphs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Rock carvings or engravings made by removing portions of a rock surface
2. ancient artistic expressions often found in archaeological sites
3. images or symbols created by prehistoric peoples to convey cultural or spiritual significance

Etymology: Ancient rock carvings have been found across the world, from the Nordic countries to the deserts of North America, and the word for them was built from two Greek pieces. "Pétra" meant rock, and "gluphḗ" meant carved work, from the verb "glýphein", to carve or engrave. Put together, the pieces describe exactly what the objects are: pictures and marks cut into stone. The term reached English through French "pétroglyphe", so it is a borrowing rather than a word that English built itself. The "petro-" part is the same stem found in "petrify" and "petrol" (originally a stone oil), while "-glyph" is also seen in "hieroglyph", which combines the Greek for sacred carving with the same root. The plural, "petroglyphs", is simply the ordinary English plural of "petroglyph", so no separate history attaches to it.

Synonyms: rock carvings, stone engravings