scribo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈskriː.boː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈskriː.bo]^[1]

Forms

scrībō (present infinitive scrībere, perfect active scrīpsī, supine scrīptum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *skreif-e/o- (“to carve”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *skreybʰ- (“to scratch, carve”).^[2][1] The past participle took its long vowel from the present and perfect.^[2]

Cognate with Oscan scriftas (“written”), Umbrian screhto (“written”), Latvian skrīpât (“to scratch, scribble”) and Old Norse hrífa (“to scratch”).^[2] The link with Ancient Greek σκαρῑφάομαι (skarīpháomai, “to scratch”) is unclear.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is attested from Naevius onwards.^[2] In Plautus it means to write letters with a pen in a book.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The first sense was to scratch or trace lines, which survived in geometry and drawing.^[3][4] From this came writing letters and words, spelling, and putting things on record, such as inventories, wills and accounts.^[3] In law it meant to draw up documents, laws and decrees, and in finance to write a promissory note.^[3] It meant to enrol soldiers and colonists and to name someone heir in a will.^[3]

It also meant to compose literary works and to write letters, as in salutem scribere “to send greetings”.^[3][5] Among its compounds are describo, inscribo, praescribo and subscribo, and the agent noun scriba gave English scribe.^[2][6]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.^[2][7]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of writing letters with a pen.^[3][7]
• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of instructions left in writing.^[3][7]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it for drawing a line and for enrolling soldiers.^[3][7]
• late 14th century – English borrows scriptum through French as English script.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To draw, trace (lines, figures).^[3][4]
2. To write (letters, words); to spell.^[3][5]
3. To put in writing, record.^[3]
4. (finance) To write a promissory note; to enter in a ledger.^[3]
5. To enrol, enlist (soldiers, colonists).^[3]
6. To appoint (an heir) in a will.^[3]
7. To lay down in writing, prescribe; to draft (a law, a decree).^[3]
8. To compose (a literary work).^[3][5]
9. To write (a letter) to someone.^[3]
10. To describe in writing.^[3]

Word family

• ascrībō
• circumscrībō
• cōnscrībō
• contrāscrībō
• dēscrībō
• discrībō
• exscrībō
• īnscrībō
• inscriptus
• interscrībō
• perscrībō
• postscrībō
• scrība
• scrīptor
• scrīptūra

Related words

• English scribe
• English script

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de