Chronogram
/ˈkrɒnəˌɡræm/noun
An inscription or phrase in which certain letters are used as numerals to express a date.
Did you know?Chronograms were often carved into buildings, books, and monuments as a kind of encoded time-marking, turning language itself into a numerical puzzle.
Etymological Timeline
Greek
Gk
chronos
“time”
Greek
Gk
gramma
“something written; a letter”
Late Latin
LL
chronogramma
“a writing that records time”
16th Century
Latin
chronogramma
“an inscription whose letters indicate a date”
17th Century
English
chronogram
“a dated inscription made by numerical letters”
Modern English
English
chronogram
“an inscription or phrase in which letters stand for numbers to show a date”
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