palaeography

British  

/ ˌpælɪˈɒɡrəfɪ, ˌpælɪəʊˈɡræfɪk /

noun

1. the study of the handwritings of the past, and often the manuscripts as well, so that they may be dated, read, etc, and may serve as historical and literary sources

2. a handwriting of the past

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Other Word Forms

• palaeographer noun
• palaeographic adjective

Example Sentences

A choice of modules includes dragons in western literature and art, the legend of King Arthur, palaeography, Islamic thought, archaeological theory and practice and the depiction of women in the Middle Ages.

From BBC • Oct. 3, 2023

Therefore, the conjecture that these specific fragments may be forgeries rests alone of the interpretation of palaeography and the texts.”

From The Guardian • Nov. 21, 2017

This manuscript is of singular interest both for language and palaeography, and consists of 277 leaves of vellum varying in thickness, some of it being very coarse.

From Studies from Court and Cloister: being essays, historical and literary dealing mainly with subjects relating to the XVIth and XVIIth centuries by Stone, J. M. (Jean Mary)

In the present state of Hebrew palaeography it is not possible to determine accurately the date of a MS., but it is easy to recognize the country in which it was written.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 2 "Hearing" to "Helmond" by Various

This branch of archaeology and palaeography has made available new fields of research in the study of early Christianity hitherto unfamiliar.

From Christian Hymns of the First Three Centuries by Messenger, Ruth Ellis