cuneiform
cuneiform — adjective
- cuneiformpositive
- more cuneiformcomparative
- most cuneiformsuperlative
1. relating to an ancient system of writing that uses wedge-shaped marks pressed in
relating to an ancient system of writing that uses wedge-shaped marks pressed into soft clay, developed in Mesopotamia and used throughout the Middle East for over three thousand years.
Dr. Okafor showed the class a clay tablet covered in cuneiform symbols.
collocation: cuneiform symbols / cuneiform script
The museum's new exhibit displays cuneiform inscriptions from ancient Mesopotamia.
Chen Wei spent months learning to read cuneiform texts at the university library.
The archaeologist brushed dust off a cuneiform tablet over four thousand years old.
Fatima knew it was cuneiform from the wedge-shaped marks pressed into the clay.
- wedge-shaped
describes the physical form of the marks, but does not refer to the writing system itself
文法句型
cuneiform + noun (script, tablet, writing, symbol)
用法筆記
Always used before a noun — you can say 'cuneiform script' but not 'the writing is cuneiform' in this sense. For predicative uses, switch to 'written in cuneiform'.
常見錯誤
2. describing a physical object or mark that is broad at its base and narrows to a
describing a physical object or mark that is broad at its base and narrows to a thin point, like a wedge — used for the shape itself, not for the ancient writing system.
The archaeologists identified the flint tool as cuneiform because of its wedge-like shape.
Ancient scribes used a reed stylus to make cuneiform impressions on wet clay.
cuneiform impressions — physical mark sense
A cuneiform stone weight from an ancient market had a wide top and narrow bottom.
Each cuneiform mark was made by pressing the stylus at an angle into the clay.
The professor explained that the word 'cuneiform' comes from Latin and literally means 'wedge-shaped.'
- wedge-shaped
the everyday equivalent; use this instead of 'cuneiform' for non-historical descriptions
- tapered
describes something that narrows gradually to a point, though not necessarily as wide at the base
- rounded
having a curved rather than pointed shape
用法筆記
This physical-description sense is rare in modern English outside of academic writing. Most readers encounter 'cuneiform' only in the context of the ancient writing system (sense 1).
常見錯誤
cuneiform — noun
1. a method of recording language that was invented in Mesopotamia more than five t
a method of recording language that was invented in Mesopotamia more than five thousand years ago, using wedge-shaped marks pressed into soft clay with a reed stylus — a script used for over three thousand years to write many languages including Sumerian, Akkadian, and Elamite.
Cuneiform was first developed by the Sumerians around 3400 BCE.
uncountable; 'cuneiform was…'
Olga deciphered a cuneiform passage about a trade agreement between two ancient Assyrian cities.
The library's rare-books section includes a guide to reading ancient cuneiform.
Scholars have translated thousands of cuneiform tablets that record everyday life in Babylon.
Learning to read cuneiform takes years because the script has hundreds of different signs.
- wedge writing
a descriptive alternative, but much less common than 'cuneiform' in academic use
- cuneiform script
a slightly more formal way to refer to the same system
文法句型
in cuneiform
written in cuneiform
用法筆記
Cuneiform is an uncountable noun — do not say 'a cuneiform' or 'cuneiforms.' Use 'cuneiform script' or 'a cuneiform writing system' if you need a countable form. The same word marks were used to write several unrelated languages over time, so 'cuneiform' refers to the script, not a particular language.