text English · revision 3283

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1369, Chaucer|origins=la texere}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /tekst/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|texte]],^(AHD 2000)^(Hoad 1986) [[bor|fro|texte]], Old North French tixte “text, book, Gospels”,^(Etymonline)^(COED 2004)^(Hoad 1986) from [[la-med|textus|t=the Scriptures; a text, treatise]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) in Late Latin “written account, content”,^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) from [[la|textus|t=style or texture of a work]], literally “thing woven”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from the past participle of [[m|la|texere|t=to weave, join, construct]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) from [[ine-pro|*teks-|t=to weave, to fabricate]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) Latin texere is related to Greek téchnē “art, skill” and téktōn “carpenter”.^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) It is related to [[texture]], [[textile]] and [[context]].^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The wording of anything written: 1369, in Chaucer's ''Book of the Duchess''.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Also from the late 14th century, a text was an authoritative writing, the original as distinct from a translation or commentary, and especially a passage of the Bible used as a proof or as the subject of a sermon.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) Hence, generally, “a subject, theme”, from about 1600.^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) Robert Bringhurst describes the ancient metaphor behind the word: scribes made the written page so even that they called it textus, cloth.^(Etymonline) The verb meant “to write in text-hand”, the large writing used for the body of a manuscript, from 1599.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) A digital text message is by 2005, and the verb “to send a text message” from the same year.^(Etymonline)^(Roach et al. 2011) ''Textbook'' is from 1730, first a book into which students copied a classic text.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1369 – the wording of a writing.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * late 14th century – a passage of Scripture.^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1390 – ''textual''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1599 – verb, to write in text-hand.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1600 – a subject, theme.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1730 – ''textbook''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 2005 – a text message; verb, to send one.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The words of something written or printed.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # The main body of a book, as distinct from notes and illustrations.^(AHD)^(OED 1989)

+ # The original words of a work, as distinct from a [[translation]] or [[paraphrase]].^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # A passage of [[Scripture]] used as the subject of a [[sermon]].^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # A book studied in a course; a [[textbook]].^(AHD)

+ # A [[text message]].^(Etymonline)^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To send a text message to.^(Etymonline)^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[textless]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[texture]]

+ * [[textile]]

+ * [[context]]

+ * [[pretext]]

+ * [[technical]]

+ * [[architect]]

+ * [[subtle]]

+ * [[toil]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Now that ''text'' is common as a verb, “to send a text message”, its final /t/ is often dropped at the end of a word, giving /teks/.^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}