manuscript
MAN-yoo-skript
/ˈmæn.jə.skrɪpt/
A handwritten or typed document before it is published, or an ancient document written by hand.
Implies an unprinted or draft state in publishing, or historical value in archival contexts.
The story behind the word. Before Johann Gutenberg invented movable type in the mid-15th century, every single book was written out letter by letter. The Latin phrase 'manu scriptus' literally translated to 'written by hand'. Over time, even when typewriters and word processors replaced quill pens, the publishing industry kept the term to describe an author's original draft prior to publication.
Word relationships
- draft: Draft refers to any preliminary version, whereas manuscript usually refers to a complete text prepared for publication or an ancient document.
- published book: A published book is the final, printed, and distributed commercial product.
Commonly confused with
- transcript: A transcript is a written record of spoken words, whereas a manuscript is an author's original written composition.
Word family
- manuscripts (noun): plural form of manuscript
Collocations
- submit a manuscript
- original manuscript
- unsolicited manuscript
- rejected manuscript
Example sentences
- "The editor spent three weeks reading through the thick manuscript before deciding to acquire it." Publishing industry
- "In 'The Name of the Rose', Umberto Eco writes about a lost manuscript of Aristotle." Historical literature
Memory hook
MANUal + SCRIPT = a script written by hand. Handwritten or typed draft before print.
When not to use
Do not use for printed books or digital articles that have already gone through full publication.
Fun facts
- The Voynich Manuscript is a 15th-century codex written in an unknown script that cryptographers and linguists still cannot decipher.
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