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writing


  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Write  \Write\,  v.  t.  [imp.  {Wrote};  p.  p.  {Written};  Archaic 
  imp.  &  p.  p.  {Writ};  p.  pr  &  vb  n.  {Writing}.]  [OE.  writen, 
  AS  wr[=i]tan;  originally,  to  scratch,  to  score;  akin  to  OS 
  wr[=i]tan  to  write,  to  tear,  to  wound,  D.  rijten  to  tear,  to 
  rend,  G.  reissen  OHG.  r[=i]zan,  Icel.  r[=i]ta  to  write, 
  Goth.  writs  a  stroke,  dash,  letter.  Cf  {Race}  tribe, 
  lineage.] 
  1.  To  set  down  as  legible  characters;  to  form  the  conveyance 
  of  meaning;  to  inscribe  on  any  material  by  a  suitable 
  instrument;  as  to  write  the  characters  called  letters;  to 
  write  figures. 
 
  2.  To  set  down  for  reading;  to  express  in  legible  or 
  intelligible  characters;  to  inscribe;  as  to  write  a  deed; 
  to  write  a  bill  of  divorcement;  hence  specifically,  to 
  set  down  in  an  epistle;  to  communicate  by  letter. 
 
  Last  night  she  enjoined  me  to  write  some  lines  to 
  one  she  loves.  --Shak. 
 
  I  chose  to  write  the  thing  I  durst  not  speak  To  her 
  I  loved.  --Prior. 
 
  3.  Hence  to  compose  or  produce,  as  an  author. 
 
  I  purpose  to  write  the  history  of  England  from  the 
  accession  of  King  James  the  Second  down  to  a  time 
  within  the  memory  of  men  still  living.  --Macaulay. 
 
  4.  To  impress  durably;  to  imprint;  to  engrave;  as  truth 
  written  on  the  heart. 
 
  5.  To  make  known  by  writing;  to  record;  to  prove  by  one's  own 
  written  testimony;  --  often  used  reflexively. 
 
  He  who  writes  himself  by  his  own  inscription  is  like 
  an  ill  painter,  who  by  writing  on  a  shapeless 
  picture  which  he  hath  drawn,  is  fain  to  tell 
  passengers  what  shape  it  is  which  else  no  man  could 
  imagine.  --Milton. 
 
  {To  write  to},  to  communicate  by  a  written  document  to 
 
  {Written  laws},  laws  deriving  their  force  from  express 
  legislative  enactment,  as  contradistinguished  from 
  unwritten,  or  common,  law.  See  the  Note  under  {Law},  and 
  {Common  law},  under  {Common},  a. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Writing  \Writ"ing\,  n. 
  1.  The  act  or  art  of  forming  letters  and  characters  on  paper, 
  wood,  stone,  or  other  material,  for  the  purpose  of 
  recording  the  ideas  which  characters  and  words  express,  or 
  of  communicating  them  to  others  by  visible  signs. 
 
  2.  Anything  written  or  printed;  anything  expressed  in 
  characters  or  letters;  as: 
  a  Any  legal  instrument,  as  a  deed,  a  receipt,  a  bond,  an 
  agreement,  or  the  like 
  b  Any  written  composition;  a  pamphlet;  a  work  a 
  literary  production;  a  book;  as  the  writings  of 
  Addison. 
  c  An  inscription. 
 
  And  Pilate  wrote  a  title  .  .  .  And  the  writing 
  was  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  King  of  the  Jews. 
  --John  xix. 
  19. 
 
  3.  Handwriting;  chirography. 
 
  {Writing  book},  a  book  for  practice  in  penmanship. 
 
  {Writing  desk},  a  desk  with  a  sloping  top  for  writing  upon 
  also  a  case  containing  writing  materials,  and  used  in  a 
  similar  manner. 
 
  {Writing  lark}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  European  yellow-hammer;  --  so 
  called  from  the  curious  irregular  lines  on  its  eggs. 
  [Prov.  Eng.] 
 
  {Writing  machine}.  Same  as  {Typewriter}. 
 
  {Writing  master},  one  who  teaches  the  art  of  penmanship. 
 
  {Writing  obligatory}  (Law),  a  bond. 
 
  {Writing  paper},  paper  intended  for  writing  upon  with  ink, 
  usually  finished  with  a  smooth  surface,  and  sized. 
 
  {Writing  school},  a  school  for  instruction  in  penmanship. 
 
  {Writing  table},  a  table  fitted  or  used  for  writing  upon 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  writing 
  n  1:  the  act  of  creating  written  works  "writing  was  a  form  of 
  therapy  for  him";  "it  was  a  matter  of  disputed 
  authorship"  [syn:  {authorship},  {composition},  {penning}] 
  2:  reading  matter;  anything  expressed  in  letters  of  the 
  alphabet  (especially  when  considered  from  the  point  of 
  view  of  style  and  effect);  "the  writing  in  her  novels  is 
  excellent"  [syn:  {written  material}] 
  3:  (usually  plural)  the  collected  work  of  an  author;  "the  idea 
  occurs  with  increasing  frequency  in  Hemingway's  writings" 
  4:  letters  or  symbols  written  or  imprinted  on  a  surface;  "he 
  turned  the  paper  over  so  the  writing  wouldn't  show";  "the 
  doctor's  writing  was  illegible"  [syn:  {symbolic 
  representation}] 
  5:  the  activity  of  putting  something  in  written  form:  "she  did 
  the  thinking  while  he  did  the  writing" 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Writing 
  The  art  of  writing  must  have  been  known  in  the  time  of  the  early 
  Pharaohs.  Moses  is  commanded  "to  write  for  a  memorial  in  a  book" 
  (Ex.  17:14)  a  record  of  the  attack  of  Amalek.  Frequent  mention 
  is  afterwards  made  of  writing  (28:11,  21,  29,  36;  31:18;  32:15, 
  16;  34:1,  28;  39:6,  14,  30).  The  origin  of  this  art  is  unknown, 
  but  there  is  reason  to  conclude  that  in  the  age  of  Moses  it  was 
  well  known  The  inspired  books  of  Moses  are  the  most  ancient 
  extant  writings,  although  there  are  written  monuments  as  old  as 
  about  B.C.  2000.  The  words  expressive  of  "writing,"  "book,"  and 
  "ink,"  are  common  to  all  the  branches  or  dialects  of  the  Semitic 
  language,  and  hence  it  has  been  concluded  that  this  art  must 
  have  been  known  to  the  earliest  Semites  before  they  separated 
  into  their  various  tribes,  and  nations,  and  families. 
 
  "The  Old  Testament  and  the  discoveries  of  Oriental  archaeology 
  alike  tell  us  that  the  age  of  the  Exodus  was  throughout  the 
  world  of  Western  Asia  an  age  of  literature  and  books,  of  readers 
  and  writers,  and  that  the  cities  of  Palestine  were  stored  with 
  the  contemporaneous  records  of  past  events  inscribed  on 
  imperishable  clay.  They  further  tell  us  that  the  kinsfolk  and 
  neighbours  of  the  Israelites  were  already  acquainted  with 
  alphabetic  writing,  that  the  wanderers  in  the  desert  and  the 
  tribes  of  Edom  were  in  contact  with  the  cultured  scribes  and 
  traders  of  Ma'in  [Southern  Arabia],  and  that  the  'house  of 
  bondage'  from  which  Israel  had  escaped  was  a  land  where  the  art 
  of  writing  was  blazoned  not  only  on  the  temples  of  the  gods,  but 
  also  on  the  dwellings  of  the  rich  and  powerful.",  Sayce.  (See 
  {DEBIR};  {PHOENICIA}.) 
 
  The  "Book  of  the  Dead"  was  a  collection  of  prayers  and 
  formulae,  by  the  use  of  which  the  souls  of  the  dead  were 
  supposed  to  attain  to  rest  and  peace  in  the  next  world.  It  was 
  composed  at  various  periods  from  the  earliest  time  to  the 
  Persian  conquest.  It  affords  an  interesting  glimpse  into  the 
  religious  life  and  system  of  belief  among  the  ancient  Egyptians. 
  We  learn  from  it  that  they  believed  in  the  existence  of  one 
  Supreme  Being  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  judgement  after 
  death,  and  the  resurrection  of  the  body.  It  shows,  too  a  high 
  state  of  literary  activity  in  Egypt  in  the  time  of  Moses.  It 
  refers  to  extensive  libraries  then  existing.  That  of  Ramessium 
  in  Thebes,  e.g.,  built  by  Rameses  II.,  contained  20,000  books. 
 
  When  the  Hebrews  entered  Canaan  it  is  evident  that  the  art  of 
  writing  was  known  to  the  original  inhabitants,  as  appears,  e.g., 
  from  the  name  of  the  city  Debir  having  been  at  first 
  Kirjath-sepher,  i.e.,  the  "city  of  the  book,"  or  the  "book  town" 
  (Josh.  10:38;  15:15;  Judg.  1:11). 
 
  The  first  mention  of  letter-writing  is  in  the  time  of  David  (2 
  Sam.  11:14,  15).  Letters  are  afterwards  frequently  spoken  of  (1 
  Kings  21:8,  9,  11;  2  Kings  10:1,  3,  6,  7;  19:14;  2  Chr. 
  21:12-15;  30:1,  6-9,  etc.). 
 




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