Hypertext Webster Gateway: "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.).
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) 1.7 (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: the work of a writer; 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"; "that editorial was a fine piece of writing"
[syn: {written material}, {piece of writing}]
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 to
represent the sounds or words of a language; "he turned
the paper over so the writing wouldn't show"; "the
doctor's writing was illegible"
5: the activity of putting something in written form: "she did
the thinking while he did the writing" [syn: {committal to
writing}]
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