scribe
UK: /skraɪb/ | US: /skraɪb/
n. a person who copies or writes documents by hand, especially in ancient times
vt. to write or inscribe something
The word "scribe" traces back to Latin scribere, which originally meant "to carve or scratch" (as early writing was often etched into clay or wax). Over time, it evolved to mean "to write" more broadly. The silent "e" in English preserves the spelling but does not affect pronunciation. The term reflects the historical role of scribes as literate individuals who manually recorded texts before printing.
In ancient Egypt, a scribe was highly respected for their ability to read and write hieroglyphs.
She carefully scribed the poem onto parchment with a quill.
The monk acted as a scribe, copying religious texts by hand.
The contract was scribed in elegant calligraphy.
Modern calligraphers sometimes emulate the techniques of medieval scribes.