What is Cuneiform?
Cuneiform is a system of writing with wedge-shaped symbols, invented by the Sumerians around 3000 B.C The name 'cuneiform' means 'wedge-shaped' and comes from the Latin, cuneus, which means wedge. It is based on the appearance of the strokes, which were made by pressing a reed stylus into clay. |
More Facts
- Type of writing system: semanto-phonetic ~ the symbols consist of phonograms, representing spoken syllables, determinatives, which indicate the category a word belonged to and logograms, which represent words.
- Direction of writing: early texts were written vertically from top to bottom, but by about 3,000 BC the direction had changed to left to right in horizontal rows. At the same time the signs were rotated 90° anticlockwise and started to be made up mainly of wedges.
- Number of symbols: between about 1,000 in older texts to 400 in later texts.