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Jun 3, 2011
This week's theme
Words made with combining forms

This week's words
logorrhea
necrology
phycology
hagiocracy
paleography

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A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

paleography

PRONUNCIATION:
(pay-lee-AWG-ruh-fee)

MEANING:
noun:
1. The study of ancient writings and inscriptions, dating, deciphering, and interpreting them.
2. Ancient forms of writing: documents, inscriptions, etc.
3. An ancient style or method of writing.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Greek paleo- (old, ancient) + -graphy (writing). Earliest documented use: 1763.

USAGE:
"Yanis Bitsakis, of the Center for History and Paleography in Athens, added that he expects to be busy for years to come deciphering still-unread inscriptions."
Brian Handwerk; Greek "Computer" Tracked Ancient Olympics, Other Games; National Geographic News (Washington, DC); Jul 30, 2008.

See more usage examples of paleography in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Belief in the supernatural reflects a failure of the imagination. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989)

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