boustrophédon

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek βουστροφηδόν (boustrophēdón, literally “turning like an ox”), in reference to the back-and-forth course traced by boustrophedon text resembling the path taken by an ox ploughing a field.

• IPA^(key): /bus.tʁɔ.fe.dɔ̃/

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boustrophédon m (plural boustrophédons)

1. (epigraphy) boustrophedon (text written such that its direction alternates on each line, resulting in a continuous stream of characters spanning multiple lines; frequently also involving the corresponding alternation of letter directionality using mirrored letters, indicating the direction of the text at any given point)

   Synonym: boustrophe

• → Romanian: bustrofedon

boustrophédon (feminine boustrophédon or (dated) boustrophédone or (rare) boustrophédonne, masculine plural boustrophédons, feminine plural boustrophédons or (dated) boustrophédones or (rare) boustrophédonnes)

1. (epigraphy) boustrophedonic (written as a boustrophedon, such that the text directionality alternates on each line, resulting in a continuous stream of characters spanning multiple lines)

   Synonyms: boustrophédonique, (rare) boustrophé, boustrophédonien

• “boustrophédon”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012