Use cuneiform as a noun when referring to the ancient script itself, or as a modifier: 'a cuneiform tablet', 'cuneiform inscription'. It is not the same as Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Use cuneiform as a noun when referring to the ancient script itself, or as a modifier: 'a cuneiform tablet', 'cuneiform inscription'. It is not the same as Egyptian hieroglyphics.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The Egyptians invented cuniform writing. | Cuneiform was invented by the ancient Sumerians in Mesopotamia. |
| cuniform tablet | cuneiform tablet |
In anatomical and medical writing, use cuneiform as an adjective before the relevant structure: 'the medial cuneiform bone', 'cuneiform cartilage'.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| She fractured her cuniform bone. | She fractured her cuneiform bone. |
In historical and linguistic contexts, cuneiform refers to the ancient Mesopotamian writing system. In anatomy, it describes wedge-shaped structures, especially the three tarsal bones and the laryngeal cartilage.
Cuniform (dropping the 'e') is a widespread misspelling. In history, cuneiform is sometimes wrongly attributed to Egypt; it originated in ancient Sumer.
From New Latin cuneiformis, combining Latin cuneus ('wedge') and forma ('shape') with the suffix -iform ('having the form of'). The anatomical sense entered English in the mid-17th century; the application to the Mesopotamian writing system developed in the early 19th century as European scholars first deciphered tablets found at Persepolis and Nineveh.
Who invented cuneiform writing?
Cuneiform was invented by the ancient Sumerians in Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) around 3400–3300 BCE, making it one of the world's earliest writing systems.
How is cuneiform different from hieroglyphics?
Cuneiform was developed in Mesopotamia and uses wedge-shaped impressions in clay. Hieroglyphics were a distinct Egyptian system using pictorial symbols carved or painted on stone and papyrus. The two systems evolved independently.
What does cuneiform mean in Latin?
Cuneiform comes from Latin cuneus (wedge) and forma (shape), meaning 'wedge-shaped'. The name was given by 19th-century European scholars to describe the characteristic wedge impressions of the script.
What is the cuneiform bone?
There are three cuneiform bones in the human foot: the medial, intermediate, and lateral cuneiforms. They are small wedge-shaped bones in the tarsus (midfoot) that connect to the metatarsals.
Is cuneiform still used today?
No. Cuneiform gradually fell out of use and was extinct by the 1st century CE. Today it is studied by scholars of ancient Near Eastern languages such as Sumerian, Akkadian, and Elamite.