English
amanuensis
Amanuensis comes from Latin āmanuēnsis ‘secretary’, and goes back to manus ‘hand’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmanus‘hand’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEāmanuēnsis‘secretary’
- Englishearliest quotation 1827amanuensis
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmanus‘hand’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEāmanuēnsis‘secretary’
- Englishearliest quotation 1827amanuensis
Earliest quotation: 1827, John Colin Dunlop: “In consequence of this fashion of authors dictating their…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₂- ‘to beckon’
amaze, mastiff, commandery, 26 more
through Proto-Italic *manus ‘hand’
commander, mandate, commodore, commando, commandant, commendation, commandment, mannered, commandeer, 25 more
through Latin manus ‘hand’
main, manner, manage, manual, manipulation, manufacture, manga, manifest, mano, manus, manacles, 26 more
Today it means
noun One employed to take dictation, or copy manuscripts.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin manus / amanuensis