CUNEIFORM WRITING Meaning and
Definition
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Cuneiform writing refers to one of the earliest systems of writing developed by ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, specifically the Sumerians. The word "cuneiform" is derived from the Latin word "cuneus," meaning wedge, due to the distinctive wedge-shaped marks that were made on clay tablets using a reed stylus. This system of writing emerged around 3000 BCE and was in use for several thousand years.
Cuneiform writing was comprised of a combination of ideograms, phonograms, and determinatives. Ideograms were symbols that represented objects or concepts, phonograms represented syllables or individual sounds, and determinatives were used to indicate the category or meaning of a word. The writing system was initially used to record economic transactions and administrative information such as inventories and contracts.
Due to its complexity, cuneiform writing was primarily used by professional scribes who underwent rigorous training to master the intricacies of the script. As such, literacy in cuneiform was limited to a small portion of the population.
Cuneiform writing played a pivotal role in the development of human civilization as it allowed for the recording of laws, literature, myths, and historical events. It facilitated the preservation and transmission of knowledge across generations and was instrumental in the communication and administration of vast empires like the Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. The decipherment of cuneiform script by scholars in the 19th and 20th centuries greatly contributed to our understanding of ancient Mesopotamian culture and history.
Common Misspellings for CUNEIFORM WRITING
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Etymology of CUNEIFORM WRITING
The word "cuneiform" is derived from the Latin words "cuneus", which means "wedge", and "forma", meaning "shape". The term "cuneiform writing" is based on the wedge-shaped marks that were used in this ancient script. The cuneiform writing system was developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia around 3500 BCE and was later adopted and refined by various civilizations in the Near East, including the Babylonians and Assyrians. The term "cuneiform" was coined in the early 19th century by English archaeologist Henry Rawlinson, who deciphered the script in the mid-19th century.
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