Cuneiform Letters
Preserved but no longer current.
Letters like wedges (Lat. cuneus, a wedge). They form the writing of ancient Persia, Babylonia, Assyria, etc., and, dating from about 3800 B.C. to the early years of the Christian era, are the most ancient specimens of writing known to us. Cuneiform inscriptions first attracted interest in Europe in the early 17th century, but no deciphering was successful until 1802 (by Grotefend, of Hanover).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Cuneiform Letters” mean?
Letters like wedges (Lat. cuneus, a wedge). They form the writing of ancient Persia, Babylonia, Assyria, etc., and, dating from about 3800 B.C. to the early years of the Christian era, are the most ancient specimens of writing known to us. Cuneiform inscriptions first attracted interest in Europe in the early 17th century, but no deciphering was successful until 1802 (by Grotefend, of Hanover).
Is “Cuneiform Letters” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.