Meanings
plural palaeotypes · alternative paleotype
- An old book printed between 1500 and 1550.
The library of the British Museum is […] rich in manuscripts, rich in palaeotypes, rich in the science, history, and literature of every age and nation.
1854, Jos. C. Coswell, The Astor Library1 more example
The identification of this edition as an incunabulum, and not an early palaeotype, evokes doubts in a number of scholars (for example, it was not included in the Census).
2000, Manuscripta Orientalia: International Journal for Oriental Manuscript Research, Volumes 6-7, page 22 - historicalA phonetic alphabet developed by Alexander John Ellis to represent all spoken sounds of English by means of the printing types that were in common use in the mid-19th century, one of the predecessors of IPA.
Of course for publication in a newspaper, my palaeotype would not answer, but my glossotype would enable the author to give his Pennsylvania German in an English form and much more intelligibly.
1889, Alexander Ellis, On Early English Pronunciation
Origin
- New Latinpalaeotypus“which dates from the early days of printing; incunabulum, paleotype”
- Englishpalaeotype
From New Latin palaeotypus (“which dates from the early days of printing; incunabulum, paleotype”), synchronically palaeo- + type.
More words from New Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
palaeotype. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palaeotype
“palaeotype.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palaeotype. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “palaeotype,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palaeotype.
Source: palaeotype on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.