rongorongo means an early glyphic writing system of Easter Island, written in reverse boustrophedon and as yet undeciphered. It carries an Arena rating of 1319, earned across 10 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, rongorongo ranks #23 of 13,223 for Most Sublime Words, #896 of 13,223 for Most Ingenious Words, #1,358 of 13,223 for Most Exacting Words, #1,726 of 13,223 for Most Satisfying to Say.
rongorongo is pronounced /ˌɹɒŋəʊˈɹɒŋəʊ/.
Why “rongorongo” is a great word
An early glyphic writing system of Easter Island, carved in reverse boustrophedon and as yet undeciphered. Borrowed from Rapa Nui roŋoroŋo, a reduplicated form of roŋo ("message"), meaning "to recite, to chant." Unlike an "alphabet," which maps symbols to sounds, or "hieroglyphs," whose pictorial logic is largely unlocked, rongorongo is a sealed vault of meaning, its internal grammar a stubborn silence. It is the cryptic tally of a lost world: a wooden tablet's serpentine line of birdmen and fronds, the rasp of a sharpened shark's tooth against toromiro wood, the silent dance of figures etched by a hand long turned to soil—a message forever recited, but never heard.
Etymology
Borrowed from Rapa Nui roŋoroŋo (“to recite, chant”), a reduplicated form of roŋo (“message”).
noun
- An early glyphic writing system of Easter Island, written in reverse boustrophedon and as yet undeciphered.“Rongorongo glyph 700 , which resembles a fish, is written on many human skulls. It is thought that it may stand for ika, which means "fish" or "war casualty" in Rapa Nui.”
Words closest in meaning
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