Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ   

Re: boustrophedon (was: Atlantis II)

From:<kam@...>
Date:Saturday, June 16, 2001, 12:44
Two points that might be relevent.

1. As you go from the R>L Semitic alphabets to the L>R European alphabets
all the letter forms flip over to their mirror images. That is the shapes
are defined relative to the direction of writing.

2. Egyptian hieroglyphs can go L>R or R>L and the symbols again flip over
according to the direction of writing. You have to read into the faces
of all the various creatures etc., that is they always look back towards
the start of the line. I don't think hieroglyphs alternate direction from
line to line, but a L>R panel will often be balanced by another going R>L.
Anyone know what happens with Hieratic, Cursive, Coptic ?

Keith

Replies

Raymond Brown <ray.brown@...>
John Cowan <cowan@...>