parchment

parchment
\ \ [13] Under several layers of disguise lurks the geographical origin of parchment: the ancient town of Pergamum in western Turkey, whose inhabitants used the skin of sheep for writing on rather than papyrus. In Latin, such skin was known as charta Pergamīnapaper from Pergamum’, or simply pergamīna.
\ \ This was later blended with Parthica pellisParthian leather’ to produce a Vulgar Latin *particamīnum, which passed into English via Old French parchemin (the ending was changed to -ment on the model of other English words, in the 15th century). The formal distinction between parchment (made from sheepskin) and vellum (made from calfskin) has never been particularly watertight in English.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Parchment — Parch ment (p[aum]rch ment), n. [OE. parchemin, perchemin, F. parchemin, LL. pergamenum, L. pergamena, pergamina, fr. L. Pergamenus of or belonging to Pergamus an ancient city of Mysia in Asia Minor, where parchment was first used.] 1. The skin… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • parchment — [pärch′mənt] n. [ME parchemin < OFr < LL pergamina < L (charta) Pergamena, (paper) of PERGAMUM, where used as a substitute for papyrus: altered in OFr by assoc. with parche, parchment < LL parthica ( pellis), lit., Parthian (leather)] …   English World dictionary

  • Parchment — Parchment, MI U.S. city in Michigan Population (2000): 1936 Housing Units (2000): 873 Land area (2000): 0.855291 sq. miles (2.215193 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.033619 sq. miles (0.087074 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.888910 sq. miles (2.302267… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Parchment, MI — U.S. city in Michigan Population (2000): 1936 Housing Units (2000): 873 Land area (2000): 0.855291 sq. miles (2.215193 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.033619 sq. miles (0.087074 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.888910 sq. miles (2.302267 sq. km) FIPS… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • parchment — ► NOUN 1) a stiff material made from the skin of a sheep or goat, formerly used for writing on. 2) (also parchment paper) stiff translucent paper treated to resemble parchment. 3) informal a diploma or other formal document. ORIGIN Old French… …   English terms dictionary

  • parchment — (n.) c.1300, from O.Fr. perchemin (O.N.Fr. parcamin), from L.L. pergamenum parchment, from Late Gk. pergamenon of Pergamon, from Pergamon Pergamum (modern Bergama), city in Mysia in Asia Minor where it was supposedly first adopted as a substitute …   Etymology dictionary

  • Parchment — For other uses, see Parchment (disambiguation). Central European (Northern) type of finished parchment made of goatskin stretched on a wooden frame Parchment is a thin material made from calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin, often split. Its most… …   Wikipedia

  • parchment — parchmentlike, parchmenty, adj. /pahrch meuhnt/, n. 1. the skin of sheep, goats, etc., prepared for use as a material on which to write. 2. a manuscript or document on such material. 3. a stiff, off white paper resembling this material. 4. a… …   Universalium

  • parchment — [[t]pɑ͟ː(r)tʃmənt[/t]] parchments 1) N UNCOUNT In former times, parchment was the skin of a sheep or goat that was used for writing on. ...old manuscripts written on parchment. 2) N UNCOUNT Parchment is a kind of thick yellowish paper. ...an old… …   English dictionary

  • Parchment — This rare and unusual name embodies a long and most interesting history. As a surname, it is a metonymic applied, quite literally, to a parchment maker or seller. The word parchment was derived, via the Middle English and Old French parchemin ,… …   Surnames reference

  • parchment — UK [ˈpɑː(r)tʃmənt] / US [ˈpɑrtʃmənt] noun Word forms parchment : singular parchment plural parchments 1) a) [uncountable] a substance made from animal skin, used in the past for writing on b) [countable] an old document written on parchment 2)… …   English dictionary

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