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DictionaryRoot: graphein
Greek

graphein

scratch, draw, write

Forms

  • graph-
  • gram- — From the related Greek noun gramma, ‘written mark; letter.’
  • grammat- — The longer stem of gramma used before grammatical endings and in compounds.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *gerbh-, ‘scratch; carve.’

Note

Drawing and writing belonged to the same activity of making marks.

1 / 9
A young athlete signs a small portrait photograph of himself held out by an admiring fan; the fresh handwritten signature is the focal object.
noun / verb / adjective

autograph

AW-tuh-graf/ˈɔːtəɡræf/

Written in a person's own hand.

Etymology
autoGreekself or one's own
+graphGreekscratch, draw, write

“One’s own writing” originally described something written in the author’s own hand, including a manuscript. The signature sense narrows this to a person’s handwritten name.

Full entry

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