ppl. a. Forms: 4–6 writen (5 Sc. -in, 5 ywriton), 4 wreten (5 -on, 6 -yn, Sc. -in); 5 writtin, wryttin, -yn, 6– written (6 whrythyn), 7 writt’n. [pa. pple. of WRITE v.]
1. That is composed, recorded, preserved or mentioned in writing; committed to writing; also, that is in writing (as opposed to oral or printed); manuscript.
In very frequent use from c. 1570.
a. 1300, etc. [see 1 b].
1485. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 385. The above wryttin Perse Lynche, Mayor.
c. 1511. First Eng. Bk. Amer., Introd. (Arb.), p. xxxi. In the lande of Armeneten … is whrythyn seruyce of the masses.
1565. Harding, Answ. Ivelles Challenge, 30 b. Thinges … either declared by written scriptures, or taught by the holy ghost.
1589. Hakluyt, Voy., Ep. Ded. ¶ 2. Printed or written discoucries and voyages.
1617–20. Moryson, Itin. (1903), 139. The written Relations of this tyme testifye that … they mantayned … 600th men at Armes.
1669. Holder, Elem. Speech, 9. Written Language … is permanent.
1738. C’tess Pomfret, in C’tess Hartford’s Corr. (1805), I. 24. I make the tour of the world in Gemelli’s written one.
1782. [see WRITER 3. c].
1837. Dickens, Pickw., ii. He will consent to accept a written apology.
1865. Patents (1869), 365. Letters and other written documents.
1899. Wardle, Univ. Typewriter Man., 6. The Bell gives the operator warning when the written line is about to be completed.
fig. 1605. Shaks., Macb., V. iii. 42. Can’st thou not … Raze out the written troubles of the Braine?
a. 1658. Lovelace, Poems (1904), 168. O sacred Peincture!… Thou … art a written and a body’d mind.
1801. Southey, Thalaba, XII. vii. Bitter penitence, That gives no respite night nor day from grief, To abide the written hour.
1821. Shelley, Hellas, 809. Thou wouldst ask that giant spirit The written fortunes of thy house.
transf. 1889. Sutherland, Sign-Writing, ii. 2/1. The consideration of what a written sign ought to be.
1902. C. R. Conder, First Bible, 62. To assign dates to the written monuments on stone.
b. Of laws: Reduced to, established by, writing; formulated in documents, codes or printed works. (Cf. UNWRITTEN ppl. a. 1 b.)
a. 1300. Cursor M., 14843. We sari men, quat mai wee sai, Ne knau we noght þe writen lai.
c. 1435. Wyntoun, Cron., III. Prol. 2. Moysses … Broucht to þe Iowis þar wryttyn lawys.
1471. Caxton, Recuyell (Sommer), 146. Alle lawe posityf and alle lawe wreton condempne the vnto the deth.
1684. Sir G. Mackenzie, Inst. Law Scot. (1694), 4. Our written Law comprehends, First, our Statutory Law [etc.].
1728. Chambers, Cycl. (1738), s.v. Writing, We also say, written law, lex scripta, in opposition to common law.
1853. [see WRITABLE a. 1].
1882. Encycl. Brit., XIV. 365. The question whether a written law comes relatively early or late in the history of a nation.
2. a. That is inscribed or carved upon; bearing engraving or inscription.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., XII. 114. Grekis sayn that pechis we may make Ywriton [L. scripta] growe.
c. 1793. Encycl. Brit., XII. 433. Written Mountain, Mountain of Inscriptions,… a supposed mountain … in the wilderness of Sinai.
1794. W. Hutchinson, Hist. Cumbld., I. 138. Written Rocks on Gelt.
1861. Reade, Cloister & H., lv. Presently we did pass a narrow lane, and … espied a written stone.
b. Bearing, inscribed or covered with, writing.
1580. [see WRITING-BOOK 1].
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., II. vii. 64. A carrion death, Within whose emptie eye there is a written scroule.
1656. T. Violet, Proposals, 19. A written parchment, and a written sheet of paper annexed thereunto.
1692. Athenian Merc., 24 Dec. A flat bundle of written Papers.
1831. G. P. R. James, Phil. Augustus, II. ii. Treaties which in all ages have been but written parchments.
1869. Patents, 6. The written paper and the copying paper are laid on a board.
fig. 1820. Shelley, Prometh. Unb., II. i. 110. Oh, lift Thine eyes, that I may read his written soul!
† 3. Written hand, cursive form of writing; a form of running hand. Obs.
1531. Rec. St. Mary at Hill, 45. A prymmer lymmed with gold and with Imagery, wretyn hond.
1582. T. Watson, Centurie of Love, Ep. Ded. This worke … being as yet but in written hand.
1617. Moryson, Itin., I. 86. An old breviary of written hand and much esteemed.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 27 Jan. 1658. He had … skill to reade most written hands.
1764. Foote, Mayor of G., II. i. We appoint him our Secretary for he can read written hand.
1849. Chambers’s Jrnl., 13 Oct., 239/1. Here, Theresa, see what it [sc. a paper] says: you can read written hand better than I.
4. Of letters, etc.: Traced or formed with the pen.
1582. Mulcaster, Elementarie (1925), 60. Som writen figure or accent.
c. 1620. A. Hume, Brit. Tongue (1865), 7. The symbol, then, I cal the written letter.
1861. Paley, Æschylus (ed. 2), Persians, 351. The vestiges of the written digamma.
1877. N. & Q., 31 March, 246. Origin of written characters.
1881. Lancet, 26 Nov., 904/2. As he wrote each letter he named one aloud, but the written and spoken letter never corresponded with one another.
5. a. That has been written to. Also with to. In quots. absol.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1768), I. 206. I command thee to be pleased: If not for the writer’s, or written’s sake, for thy word’s sake. Ibid., II. 121. [The letter] was written … on one knee, kneeling with the other. Not from reverence to the written to, however.
b. With advs. That has been written about, down, out, or up.
1754. Richardson, Corr. (1804), II. 198. Your capital men … with their short written-down speeches.
1893. Harper’s Mag., Dec., 59/1. Not thet I’d b’lieve any written-out foolishness.
1897. P. Warung, Tales Old Regime, 149. Negligently-written-up records.
1897. Mary Kingsley, W. Africa, 205. Using the native languages in his phonetically written-down form.
1899. Daily News, 22 June, 8/1. The author of ‘Peer Gynt’ and ‘Ghosts’ may be described as the best written about poet of modern times.
