Amanuensis
Word of the Day
What is Amanuensis?
noun
A literary or artistic assistant, especially one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.
Pronunciation
Why This Word?
Chosen to honor often-invisible collaborators behind luminous works.
Examples of Use
Here's how this word appears in everyday language:
The philosopher relied on an amanuensis after his injury.
Marginalia suggest the amanuensis shaped the prose.
An amanuensis prepared the fair copy overnight.
Word Origins
Latin servus a manu "hand-servant," via Medieval Latin amanuensis
Modern roles include transcriptionists and research assistants.
First appearance in English: 17th century
Word Family
Related forms of this word:
-
Noun:
A medieval scribe illuminated the page.
-
Noun:
The copyist produced three clean manuscripts.
-
Noun:
A private secretary handled dictation.
Around the World
How this word appears in other languages:
- Spanish: amanuense
- French: amanuensis
- German: Amanuensis / Schreiber
- Italian: amanuense
- Portuguese: amanuense
If you Already Know This Word
If you've mastered this word, try these more advanced alternatives:
Stenographer
Focuses on shorthand; amanuensis is broader.
Editor
Shapes text; amanuensis transcribes/assists.
Research assistant
Modern role closest in function.
Fun Facts
- Brahms's copyists preserved variants now prized by editors.
- Dictation altered sentence rhythm in some authors' styles.
Cultural Usage
- Many dictations to amanuenses created classic works.
- Court amanuenses once copied entire proceedings by hand.
Common Mistakes
Not "manualist"; that's unrelated.
Micro Story
Dictating rapidly, she trusted her amanuensis to catch every nuance.