amanuensis

English

Etymology

From Latin āmanuēnsis (“secretary”), from ab, "from, off (of)" + manus, "hand" + -ensis, "of or from (a place)".

Pronunciation

• enPR: ə-măn'yo͞o-ĕnʹsĭs
• Hyphenation: amanu‧en‧sis

Noun

amanuensis (plural amanuenses)

1. One employed to take dictation, or copy manuscripts.
2. A clerk, secretary or stenographer, or scribe.
   • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter 1, The Purchase Price:

     “[…] We are engaged in a great work, a treatise on our river fortifications, perhaps ? But since when did army officers afford the luxury of amanuenses in this simple republic ? […] ”

• For usage examples of this term, see the citations page.

Translations

one employed to take dictation

• Dutch: kopïist, schrijver op dictaat, secretaris (nl)
• French: copieur (fr) m, secretaire m

• Italian: amanuense (it) m, f
• Spanish: amanuense m

a clerk, secretary or stenographer

• Dutch: stenograaf (nl)
• French: sténographe (fr)

• German: Schreiber (de) m, Schreiberin f, Sekretär (de) m, Sekretärin (de) f

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Danish: amanuensis
• Esperanto: skribisto
• Japanese: 書記（しょき, syoki）

• Norwegian: amanuensis

References

• Gamble, Harry Y. “Amanuensis.” Anchor Bible Dictionary. Vol. 1. Ed. David Noel Freedman. New York: Doubleday, 1992.
• Longenecker, Richard N. “Ancient Amanuenses and the Pauline Epistles.” New Dimensions in New Testament Study. Eds. Richard N. Longenecker and Merrill C. Tenney. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1974. 281-97. idem, “On the Form, Function, and Authority of the New Testament Letters.” Scripture and Truth. Eds. D.A. Carson and John D. Woodbridge. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1983. 101-14.

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Latin

Etymology

From ab + manus (“hand”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /aː.ma.nuˈeːn.sis/, [aː.ma.nuˈẽː.sis]

Noun

āmanuēnsis m (genitive āmanuēnsis); third declension

1. secretary, clerk

Usage notes

Originally used for a slave at his master's personal service 'within hand reach', performing any command. Later, it was specifically applied to intimately trusted servants (also many freedmen) acting as a personal secretary.

Inflection

Third declension i-stem.

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	āmanuēnsis	āmanuēnsēs
genitive	āmanuēnsis	āmanuēnsium
dative	āmanuēnsī	āmanuēnsibus
accusative	āmanuēnsem	āmanuēnsēs āmanuēnsīs
ablative	āmanuēnse	āmanuēnsibus
vocative	āmanuēnsis	āmanuēnsēs

Descendants

• English: amanuensis