Where does “writing” come from?
Writing derives from Old English wrītan, from Proto-Germanic wrītaną, traced to Proto-Indo-European wrey-, ultimately from the root wer- meaning to turn or twist.
writing (English): Graphism of symbols such as letters that express...
Definitions
- Graphism of symbols such as letters that express...
Ancestry of “writing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | writing | — |
| 2 | Old English | wrīting | writing |
| 3 | Old English | wrītan | to incise, engrave; to scratch, carve, write; to... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wrītan | to scratch, to carve |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wrītaną | to scratch, carve; to engrave, inscribe, write |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |