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Subject:Re: 'author' vs. 'write' From:"E. G. M." <egail -at- TELEPORT -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 28 May 1997 08:28:21 -0700
On Wed, 28 May 1997, Stephen Victor wrote:
> Mary Howe wrote:
> >
> > Here's a picky little question:
> >
> > What is the difference between the verbs 'to author' and 'to write'?
> > I've never used 'author' myself because I just thought it was a social
> > dialect variation (like 'home' and 'house', 'drapes' and 'curtains',
> > 'frosting' and 'icing', etc.).
> >
> > I'm posting this here because 'to author' appears to have a special
> > meaning to technical writers. If this turns into a discussion of the
> > connotations/dialect differences among all the words above, let's take
> > it to copyediting-l.
>
> Here's a picky little answer. :) "Author" is not a verb; it is a noun.
> Authors write, but writers do not "author."
>
> Regards,
> Steve
My Webster's Tenth indicates the verb tense usage of 'author' appeared in
1596.
Cheers!
--Gail
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