parchment
pronunciation
How to pronounce parchment in British English:
UK [ˈpɑ:tʃmənt]
How to pronounce parchment in American English:
US [ˈpɑrtʃmənt]
-
- Noun:
- a superior paper resembling sheepskin
- skin of a sheep or goat prepared for writing on
Word Origin
- parchment
- parchment: [13] Under several layers of disguise lurks the geographical origin of parchment: the ancient town of Pergamum in western Turkey, whose inhabitants used the skin of sheep for writing on rather than papyrus. In Latin, such skin was known as charta Pergamīna ‘paper from Pergamum’, or simply pergamīna. This was later blended with Parthica pellis ‘Parthian leather’ to produce a Vulgar Latin *particamīnum, which passed into English via Old French parchemin (the ending was changed to -ment on the model of other English words, in the 15th century).The formal distinction between parchment (made from sheepskin) and vellum (made from calfskin) has never been particularly watertight in English.
- parchment (n.)
- c. 1300, parchemin (c. 1200 as a surname), from Old French parchemin (11c., Old North French parcamin), from Late Latin pergamena "parchment," noun use of adjective (as in pergamena charta, Pliny), from Late Greek pergamenon "of Pergamon," from Pergamon "Pergamum" (modern Bergama), city in Mysia in Asia Minor where parchment supposedly first was adopted as a substitute for papyrus, 2c. B.C.E. Possibly influenced in Vulgar Latin by Latin parthica (pellis) "Parthian (leather)." Altered in Middle English by confusion with nouns in -ment and by influence of Medieval Latin collateral form pergamentum.
Example
- 1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper .
- 2. Finely chop the almonds and prepare a sheet pan with parchment .
- 3. The trouble was that the constitution was set in stone , or at least on parchment .
- 4. Before electronic media there were clay figurines , papyrus , parchment , printed books and journals .
- 5. Ron gazed longingly at a full set of chudley cannon robes in the windows of quality quidditch supplies until hermione dragged them off to buy ink and parchment next door .