Boustrophedon

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The Jargon File

Parts of this article are based on the Jargon File, v. 4.4.7,
a public domain document of hacker jargon.

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boustrophedon
Usage: n.
Etymology: Greek
Derivation: From a Greek word for turning like an ox while plowing


boustrophedon: n.

[from a Greek word for turning like an ox while plowing] An ancient method of writing using alternate left-to-right and right-to-left lines. This term is actually philologists' techspeak and typesetters' jargon. Erudite hackers use it for an optimization performed by some computer typesetting software and moving-head printers. The adverbial form `boustrophedonically' is also found (hackers purely love constructions like this).

Sources

Source: boustrophedon, in The Jargon File, version 4.4.7.


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