Wednesday, June 4th, 2008...7:05 am
Learn-A-Word Wednesday: amanuensis \uh-man-yoo-EN-sis\
noun:
A person employed to take dictation or to copy manuscripts.
Amanuensis comes from Latin, from the phrase (servus) a manu, “slave with handwriting duties,” from a, ab, “by” + manu, from manus, “hand.”
Okay, totally long and useless word when you have “scrivener” or “secretary” or “mommy.”
See, this has been my job ever since Kid learned about letters.
Mommy, write down these words!
Mommy, make a list of everyone coming to my party!
Mommy, write Herradura on the grocery list! (oh, that was me)
She has even had me write down friends’ names for her to TYPE them into a Word document.
Amanuensis, pretty fancy word for a dull job.
Notice the Latin origin? “Slave with handwriting duties“?
That’s more like it.
Any other amanuensises out there? Amanuenses??
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5 Comments
June 4th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Ha! The other day I was blogging and my son turned to me and said, “Mom, open up notepad and write down this web address.” But it works both ways. When they complain about being out of some food, I say, “Go put it on the list.”
June 4th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I like the Learn a Word Meme. Is this your meme?
June 4th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
oh, citizen, I can’t wait for HER to do the writing! That’ll be great!
Storm, yes! It’s allll me. Please join me! And anyone else out there! I could make a list like Bananas does.
June 6th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Sounds like a term you’d find in “The Special Time: How a Woman’s Body Works”
June 11th, 2008 at 3:46 am
What an interesting meme- Thanks!!
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