Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “writer” come from?

Writer comes from Middle English writer, from Old English wrītere, originally meaning one who writes or inscribes.

writer (English): A person who writes, or produces literary work;...

Definitions

  1. A person who writes, or produces literary work;...

Ancestry of “writer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishwriterA draughtsman, or copyist; one who notes down the...
2Old Englishwrīterewriter, scribe; draughtsman; painter; writer;...

Words derived from “writer”

  • typewriter
  • songwriter
  • screenwriter
  • typewriting
  • speechwriter
  • sportswriter
  • copywriter
  • writerly
  • scriptwriter
  • ghostwriter
  • cowriter
  • typewrite
  • teletypewriter
  • newswriter
  • playwriter
  • writership
  • skywriter
  • hymnwriter
  • signwriter
  • typewritist
  • nonwriter
  • coscreenwriter
  • checkwriter
  • telewriter
Every word from Old English wrītere →