Etymology

manuscript

man·u·script
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Today it means: Handwritten, or by extension manually typewritten, as opposed to being mechanically reproduced. Full definition →

Medieval Latin manūscrīptus
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manuscript · adjective1

  1. Medieval Latin · borrowed frommanūscrīptus
  2. English todaymanuscript

1597, from Medieval Latin manūscrīptus, a calque of Germanic origin, equivalent to Latin manū (ablative of manus (“hand”)) + Latin scrīptus (past participle of scribere (“to write”)). Not found in Classical Latin.

manuscript · noun2

  1. Medieval Latin · borrowed frommanūscrīptum“writing by hand”
  2. English todaymanuscript

From Medieval Latin manūscrīptum (“writing by hand”), a calque of Germanic origin: compare Middle Low German hantschrift (“manuscript, document”), Middle Dutch hantscrift (“manuscript”) (c. 1451), Old High German hantgiskrīb (“handwriting, document, manuscript”), Middle High German hantschrift, hantgeschrift (“manuscript”) (c. 1450), Old English handġewrit (“what is written by hand, deed, contract, manuscript”) (before 1150), Old Norse handrit (“manuscript”) (before 1300). Not found in Classical Latin.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.