writing
subs.
Act of writing: P. γραφή, ἡ.
What is written: P. and V. γρᾰφή, ἡ, or pl., γράμμᾰτα, τά.
Composition: P. σύγγραμμα, τό ; see book, composition.
The act scriptio: scriptura: scribendi usus (habitual). Fond of writing scribendi cupidus; ad scribendum promtus ac paratus; scribendi amore flagrans: a writing exercise scribendi exercitatio commentatio meditatio: of or belonging to writing scriptorius; graphiarius (Suet. containing materials for writing): writing materials charta et atramentum (paper and ink) or charta (paper) only.
The manner scribendi genus ratio (Cic.): scripturae genus (Nep.). [Vid: also STYLE.]
Anything written scriptum (☞ not scriptio; and scriptura in this sense is late).
Plural. Writings tabulae (public formal documents; with or without publicae).
(drawing, scratch) letter, character, writing, document
γραφή
drawing, writing; indictment
ποίησις
ποίησις, creation, production; writing of poetry; poem
σύγγραμμα
a writing, a written paper
συγγραφή
a writing
appearing fewer than 50 times
βιβλιογραφίαwriting of books
δελτογράφος
writing on a tablet, recording
διθυραμβοποιητική
writing of dithyrambic poetry
κιναιδογράφος
writing of obscene things
κυκλογράφος
writing on a cycle
κωμῳδοποιΐα
writing of comedies
λογογραφία
a writing of speeches
μελογραφία
song-writing
μυθογραφία
a writing of fables
πεζογραφία
prose-writing
πεζολογία
prose-writing
ποικιλογράφος
writing on various subjects
πορνογράφος
writing of harlots
σιλλογραφία
writing of σίλλοι, satirical poems or lampoon in hexam. verse
συγγραφία
writing
συναλλαγματογραφία
writing of contracts
τοιχογραφία
a writing
ἀλληλογραφία
writing of amoebaean poems
ἀργυρογραφία
writing in silver letters
ἀρχαιογράφος
writing of antiquities
ἱστοριογραφία
history-writing
ὀνοματογραφία
writing of names
ῥυθμογράφος
writing on rhythms
a little book, pamphlet, manuscript, writing
scriptura
a writing, written characters
appearing fewer than 50 times
litteraturaa writing
scriptio
a writing
See alphabet; palaeography.
Ancient writing was done on (a) leaves, as of the olive and bay; (b) bark, as of the lime-tree (φιλύρα); (c) linen cloth; (d) clay and pottery; (e) walls; (f) metals, rarely gold or silver, often lead plates and bronze; (g) wood, either coated with wax or some kind of glaze or not; (h) papyrus; (i) skins, especially parchment or vellum (διφθέραι, membranae). (See the articles codex; epigraphy; fictile; graffiti; liber; Osci; palaeography; papyrus; tabula.) Paper was not found in Europe until its use was learned from the Arabs in the eighth century A.D.
The pen used in writing upon papyrus was a split reed (calamus), the best being supplied by Egypt and Cnidus in Caria. The ink (atramentum) employed was a preparation resembling India ink, made of soot and gum, or of the juice of the cuttlefish. Both of these could be erased with a sponge (spongia), whereas ink made of oxide of iron and gallnuts, which appears to have been introduced later, and to have been the only kind capable of being used for parchment, left more or less clear traces behind, even if rubbed out with pumice-stone. Red ink was also used in very early times. The ink-bottle was called μελανδόχον, atramentarium, and was a small cylindrical jar, or two such jars, one for black and one for red ink. In ordinary life people used for letters, notices, and despatches, as also in schools, wooden tablets (tabellae) with a raised rim, within which was spread a thin layer of wax. On this the characters were scratched with the point of a metal or ivory instrument called a stilus; they could be effaced with the other end of the instrument, which was bent or flattened out like a paper-folder (see stilus). Two or more such tablets could be fastened together in the form of a book. (See diptychon.) See Thompson, Greek and Latin Palaeography, pp. 12-53 (New York, 1893); and the article palaeography in this Dictionary.