author

author
{{11}}author (n.) c.1300, autor "father," from O.Fr. auctor, acteor "author, originator, creator, instigator (12c., Mod.Fr. auteur), from L. auctorem (nom. auctor) "enlarger, founder, master, leader," lit. "one who causes to grow," agent noun from auctus, pp. of augere "to increase" (see AUGMENT (Cf. augment)). Meaning "one who sets forth written statements" is from late 14c. The -t- changed to -th- 16c. on mistaken assumption of Greek origin.
...[W]riting means revealing onesself to excess .... This is why one can never be alone enough when one writes, why even night is not night enough. ... I have often thought that the best mode of life for me would be to sit in the innermost room of a spacious locked cellar with my writing things and a lamp. Food would be brought and always put down far away from my room, outside the cellar's outermost door. The walk to my food, in my dressing gown, through the vaulted cellars, would be my only exercise. I would then return to my table, eat slowly and with deliberation, then start writing again at once. And how I would write! From what depths I would drag it up! [Franz Kafka]
{{12}}author (v.) 1590s, from AUTHOR (Cf. author) (n.). Revived 1940s, chiefly U.S. Related: Authored; authoring.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • author — I (originator) noun architect, auctor, begetter, causer, composer, contriver, creator, deviser, discoverer, effecter, fabricator, founder, generator, inaugurator, initiator, innovater, institutor, introducer, inventor, maker, manufacturer,… …   Law dictionary

  • author — Ⅰ. author UK US /ˈɔːθər/ noun [C] ► the writer of a book, article, etc.: »He is a best selling author. »The author of the report said his findings were very worrying. ► a person who begins or creates something: »The authors of the proposal want… …   Financial and business terms

  • author — 1. noun. An author is a male or a female writer; authoress is widely regarded as depreciatory or even offensive. when used by men, although women writers still use it occasionally of themselves • (The authoress would like to dedicate this story… …   Modern English usage

  • author — [ô′thər] n. [ME autour < OFr autor < L auctor, enlarger, author < augere, to increase: see WAX2] 1. a person who makes or originates something; creator; originator [“author of liberty”] 2. a writer of a book, article, etc.; often specif …   English World dictionary

  • Author — Au thor ([add] th[ e]r), n. [OE. authour, autour, OF. autor, F. auteur, fr. L. auctor, sometimes, but erroneously, written autor or author, fr. augere to increase, to produce. See {Auction}, n.] 1. The beginner, former, or first mover of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Author — Au thor ([add] th[ e]r), v. t. 1. To occasion; to originate. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Such an overthrow . . . I have authored. Chapman. [1913 Webster] 2. To tell; to say; to declare. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] More of him I dare not author. Massinger.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • author — ► NOUN 1) a writer of a book or article. 2) a person who originates a plan or idea. ► VERB ▪ be the author of. DERIVATIVES authoress noun authorial adjective authorship noun …   English terms dictionary

  • author — 1 *maker, creator 2 *writer, composer …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • author — [n] composer of written work biographer, columnist, composer, creator, essayist, ghost, ghostwriter, ink slinger*, journalist, originator, playwright, poet, producer, prose writer, reporter, scribbler*, scribe, scripter, word slinger*, wordsmith …   New thesaurus

  • Author — Authorship redirects here. For the use in academia, see Academic authorship. For other uses, see Author (disambiguation). An author is broadly defined as the person who originates or gives existence to anything and that authorship determines… …   Wikipedia

  • author — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun ADJECTIVE ▪ best selling ▪ prolific ▪ famous, well known ▪ published ▪ Her ambition was to become a published …   Collocations dictionary

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