bookstaff

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English bocstaff (“letter, written character”), from Old English bōcstæf (“letter, written symbol”), equivalent to book +‎ staff. Compare modern Norwegian, Swedish bokstav / Danish bogstav, modern German Buchstabe (“letter”).

Alternative forms

• bokstaf
• bookstave

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈbʊk stɪf/, X-SAMPA: /"bUk stIf/

Noun

bookstaff (plural bookstaves or bookstaffs)

1. (alphabetic, rare) letter, letter of the alphabet, a written character.
   • 1932, Seumas O'Sullivan, The Dublin magazine:

     This is Aleph, says Isaac ; the first bookstaff in the grammatic.

Etymology 2

book +‎ staff (“group of people”)

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈbʊk ˈstæf/, X-SAMPA: /"bUk "st{f/

Noun

bookstaff (plural bookstaffs)

1. A group of individuals involved in the creation or formation of books.