Typewritings

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The acts or processes of producing text by means of typing on a mechanical or electronic device; the products or copies generated through this method; style or quality characteristic of typed documents
2. The process involving the creation of printed letters on paper using a typing machine; the resulting sheets or manuscripts obtained; the particular manner or technique used in typing texts
3. The methodical activity of composing written content via a keyboard-operated apparatus; texts or documents produced through this procedure; a distinct form or presentation typical of typed materials

Etymology: "Typewritings" is simply the plural of "typewriting," which the source traces to "type" combined with "writing," or equivalently to the verb "typewrite" with the suffix "-ing." The verb "typewrite" was formed from the same parts, so the noun is essentially a compound of the word "type," meaning printed characters or the act of producing them mechanically, and "writing," the act of producing text. Put together, the sense is writing done by means of a type-making machine rather than by hand. Because the building blocks are so transparent, the word's history is mostly a story of its meaning being applied to the documents themselves. The plural form therefore refers to the individual sheets or pieces of text produced this way, rather than to the activity in general. Writers who speak of someone's "typewritings" are usually pointing to a body of typed work, such as a stack of drafts, letters, or manuscripts.

Synonyms: typing, keyboarding, text input, word processing