Writerships

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A position or role of being a writer, often involving particular responsibilities or duties in literary production
2. A collective term for the various rights and obligations associated with the act of writing
3. A designation that encompasses the craft of authorship along with its related professional aspects and communities

Etymology: "Writerships" is the plural of "writership," which is formed by adding the suffix "-ship" to "writer." The suffix "-ship" comes from Old English "scieppe," meaning shape, condition, or state, and it attached to nouns to name a status, office, or skill, as in "friendship," "lordship," and "craftsmanship." Attaching it to "writer" produces a term for the condition or position of being a writer, and the plural form pluralizes that set of conditions. Because "writership" is a transparent compound rather than a term with a documented history of its own, its meaning rests entirely on the parts: "writer" plus a suffix denoting a state or role. The plural "writerships" therefore gathers the various states, positions, and rights that writing carries with it.