For all those dreamers typing in coffee shop corners, the transition from writer to author may seem like a pipe dream. But what those crazy scribblers might not know is authorused as a verb, has disappeared from our dictionaries for centuries.
Verb author has a very strange history marked by a large gap of unused. It first appeared in the late 1500s with both definitions used today—”to be the author of” and “to originate or create”—but inexplicably this verb has almost disappeared. from about the mid 1600s to the early 1900s.
Photo: yulkapopkova
A perfectly ordinary photo of a typical author at work
Writers sometimes use participatory forms author as a noun in the 18th and 19th centuries.
There are certain mysteries or secrets in all professions, from the highest to the lowest, from prime minister this one’s author, is rarely detected, unless the members of the same call. — Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews1742
Mr. Muggyson, may I ask what you think of my author? It’s not a slap – to that extent? — Thomas Hall, “Effects” and the Adventures of Raby Rattler1845
There is also evidence of writers using author as an adjective in the late 19th century.
It is one of his two authored works; and now I tend to allow Jonson less than prose or comic scenes. — antique1882
However, more than 300 years after its debut in English, author emerged from the abyss of obsolescence as a standard verb in both its original meanings. One of the first 20th century examples of author meaning “make or create” comes from a sports journalist. That may seem a bit surprising, but it shows that the verb is undergoing a real rebirth.
… when Buddy Maracle was the author of the goal that angered Coach Eddie Powers. — J. Count of Chevalier, Springfield Republican Party (Massachusetts)January 22, 1931
Although the verb returns to living language in a strange way, it is not fully accepted. Some critics see it as a pretentious alternative to write that is to avoid. Careful writers, however, helped introduce it to the general vocabulary as a word whose usage is slightly different from that of a regular verb. write: Necessary, author was used for writing that requires thorough editing and proofreading, especially in preparation for publication. This unique use has brought author a meaning not usually associated with common verbs write. For example, a person writes a book or a screenplay, but not a school essay.
Written by corrosion engineers and steel pile experts, the book provides an in-depth study of the problems and remedies associated with steel pile corrosion. — Civil worksNovember 1981
… all of these books were written by anthropologists trained in the United States who did their fieldwork… in the late 1970s and early 1980s…. —Andrew Kipnis, American anthropologistJune 2003
… Journey’s End, first produced in 1928 by James Whale (who later directed Frankenstein) and written by RC Sherriff, who also wrote The Invisible Man and Goodbye, Mr. Chips. — John Haney, gourmetMarch 2005
Another modern application of resurrection author is to write laws.
… a universal childcare bill, drawn up by Representative Shirley Chisholm…. — Kara Jesella, magazine Ms.Summer 2009
How the party created the New Deal and the Great Society, the party that defends the civil rights of women and minorities and saves the environment, the party created, to such a large extent, the country. America that Americans are proud of, being stripped of such power? — Russ Rymer, Mother JonesNovember 2005
It should be noted that when a law is said to be “authorised”, it usually implies that the law was created by the combined efforts of its proponents and supporters. This conjugation of the verb author with a joint effort that is not exclusive to the law. Author often used to refer to plans, movies, even technological innovations and football dynamics in which it is more likely that a single hand has been involved.
Harding authored the plan, but Clark suggested the move the Germans least expected…. —Robert Katz, Battle for Rome2003
Movies conceived and created in 3-D are simply of higher quality. —Jeffrey Katzenberg, quoted in America todayMarch 28, 2011
… Hubble, one of the most effective engineering tools created by mankind, represents a scientific victory. — Dan Vergano, America todayJune 28, 2011
He’s also the author of what many believe is the greatest two-minute hit in Super Bowl history—88 yards in eight innings (after a penalty on hold), the last being a line accurate pass to Santonio Holmes for 6 yards and the winning touchdown…. — Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post OfficeSeptember 7, 2014
Consider these unique modern uses of authorit seems the verb was not simply dug up by 20th century writers as a fancy synonym for write or create. It is skillfully used as a word to create a well thought out written work and to create other things conceived in a synthetic effort. Today, author can be used as a highfalutin synonym for more everyday words write or create, or it may be called upon for its distinct meaning to make a work worth publishing, or to create some sort of non-literary thing with the cooperation of others. So coffee shop writers shouldn’t just aspire to be authors. They should also dream of being part of the kind of community that would allow them to collaborate and create a piece of literature.
Categories: Usage Notes
Source: vothisaucamau.edu.vn
