noun
paleography
pay-lee-AH-gruh-fee
Paleography (noun) means the study of old or ancient forms of handwriting. Example: “She specialises in the paleography of medieval church records.”
noun
1
The study of old or ancient forms of handwriting.
"She specialises in the paleography of medieval church records."
"Reading a paleography textbook helped him decode the faded manuscript."
"Paleography can date a document by the shape of its letters."
2
Old or ancient scripts and styles of writing themselves, such as uncial or scriptio continua.
"The exhibit displayed examples of early Roman paleography on stone tablets."
"Scholars compared two regional paleographies from the same century."
"Papyrus scrolls preserve some of the earliest known Greek paleography."
How to use paleography
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe study of old handwriting and ancient scripts.
When to use it
Paleography is a specialist academic term used mainly in history and archival work.
Memory tip
Do not confuse paleography, the study of old writing, with paleontology, the study of fossils.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
medieval paleography
study paleography
a paleography expert
ancient paleography
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She specialises in the _____ of medieval church records.
Etymology
The word combines paleo-, meaning old or ancient, with -graphy, meaning writing. It echoes the Latin term palaeographia, used for the study of old writing.
Rhymes for paleography
geography
biography
demography
tomography
ideography
topography
lithography
iconography
mammography
discography
photography
pornography
See all rhymes for paleography →
Frequently asked questions
What is paleography?
It is the study of old or ancient forms of writing, including how to read and date historical scripts.
Who studies paleography?
Historians, archivists and librarians use paleography to read and date old manuscripts and documents.
Is paleography only about handwriting?
Mainly, yes, though it also covers the ancient scripts and writing methods themselves, such as papyrus scrolls.
What is the meaning of paleography?
"paleography" (noun) means the study of old or ancient forms of handwriting.
