Added 9 October 2026
orthography
/ɔːˈθɒɡɹəfi/ noun
Latin root: orthographia Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about orthography at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A method of representing a language or the sounds of language by written symbols; spelling. A set of conventions for writing a language, including norms of spelling, capitalization, emphasis, hyphenation, punctuation, and word breaks. The aspect of language study concerned with letters and their sequences in words; the study of spelling. Correct spelling according to established usage; also pronunciation according to the spelling of a word.
- A method of representing a language or the sounds of language by written symbols; spelling.
- A set of conventions for writing a language, including norms of spelling, capitalization, emphasis, hyphenation, punctuation, and word breaks.
verb
Origin
The noun is derived from Late Middle English ortografie, ortographie (“spelling”) [and other forms], and then either: * from Anglo-Norman ortografie, Middle French orthographie, ortografie, ortographie (“correct spelling; orthographic projection”) (compare Old French ortografie; modern French orthographe (“spelling, orthography”), orthographie (“orthographic project, orthography”)); or * from their etymon Latin orthographia (“correct spelling; building elevation”), from Koine Greek ὀρθογραφία (orthographía, “correct spelling”), from Ancient Greek ορθο- (ortho-, prefix meaning ‘right, proper; upright’) (from ὀρθός (orthós, “straight; erect, upright; correct, true”), ultimately from Proto-Indo.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)