Artificial intelligent assistant

author

I. author, n.
    (ˈɔːθə(r))
    Forms: 4–6 autour, 4–7 autor, 5 awtor, autere, 5–6 auctoure, -tore, actour, -tor, 5–7 auctour, -tor, 6 aucthour, 6–7 aucthor, 6–8 authour, 6– author.
    [a. AF. autour = OF. autor, later auteur, ad. L. auctor, agent-noun f. augēre to make to grow, originate, promote, increase. Already in 14th c. F., occasionally written auct- after L., which became the ordinary spelling in Eng. in 15–16th c., and was further corrupted to act-, from med.L. confusion of auctor and actor. The spelling auth- seems to have been at first a scribal variant of aut- (cf. rhetor, rethour) in 15–16th c. F., and appeared in Eng. c 1550, being at first applied to the form auctour so as to make aucthour. It is impossible to say to what extent these factitious spellings affected the spoken word, or when the modern pronunciation was established.]
    1. gen. The person who originates or gives existence to anything: a. An inventor, constructor, or founder. Now obs. of things material; exc. as in b.

c 1384 Wyclif De Eccl. ix, Sel. Wks. 1871 III. 359 Þis [lawe] mut passe alle oþir siþ þe auctor is þe beste. c 1386 Chaucer Parson's Tale 808 The auctour [v.r. auctor, actour, autere] of matrimonye, that is Crist. 1447 O. Bokenham Seyntys Introd. 1 The efficyent cause is the auctour Wych..doth hys labour To acomplyse the begunne matere. 1576 Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 297 One Robert Creuequer, the authour of the Castle. 1663 Gerbier Counsel C iij a, The Author of the Piazza. 1699 Lond. Gaz. No. 3532/4 (Advt.) The Author of the Rich Cordial called Nectar and Ambrosia, is Removed to Mr. Hugh Newmans. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. xxix. (1857) 211 The Authour of our religion. 1865 Mill Liberty ii. 18/1 The authors and abettors of the rule.

    b. (of all, of nature, of the universe, etc.) The Creator.

c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iii. 1016 But o þou Ioue, o autour of nature! c 1400 Apol. Loll. 44 Crist, autor of al þing. 1508 Fisher Wks. i. 198 Auctour and maker of all thynges. 1714 Addison Spect. No. 571 ¶7 The great Author of Nature. 1853 Robertson Serm. Ser. iii. iv. (1872) 55 The Father the Author of our being..He is the Author of all life.

    c. He who gives rise to or causes an action, event, circumstance, state, or condition of things.

1413 Lydg. Pylgr. Sowle i. xvii. 14 An open lyer and autour of al falshede. c 1440 Gesta Rom. ii. v. (1838) 287 Auctore of pride is the fende; auctor of concupiscence of eyene is the worlde. 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. ii. vi. 138 The immediate Author of their variance. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 6 Ane lover, and ane auctor of peace. 1653 Holcroft Procopius i. 15 Authour of the mischiefs. 1865 Mill Liberty ii. 16/1 The authors of such splendid benefits. 1884 Chr. World 5 June 417/1 The author of the Zulu war.

     d. He who authorizes or instigates; the prompter or mover. Obs.

1570 R. Ascham Scholem. (Arb.) 69 Som..in Courte were authors that honest Citizens..shoulde watche at euerie gate. 1578 Timme Calvin on Gen. 159 Neither will I be the author to give liberty. 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. i. i. 435 The Gods..for-fend, I should be Authour to dishonour you! 1656 Hobbes Liberty, etc. (1841) 214 Author, is he which owneth an action, or giveth a warrant to do it.

    2. spec. a. One who begets; a father, an ancestor. Obs. (exc. in author of his being: cf. 1 c.)

c 1300 K. Alis. 4519 My riches, and my tressours, And alle hath do myn autors. 1660 H. Bloome Archit. A b, Tuscanus, who is reported to be the generall Author of the Germans. 1718 Pope Iliad vi. 254 The honour'd author of my birth and name. 1823 Lamb Elia Ser. i. i. (1865) 9 Old Walter Plumer (his reputed author). 1850 Thackeray Pendennis xxvii. (1863) 227 The author of her being, her persecuted..murdered father.

    3. a. esp. and absol. One who sets forth written statements; the composer or writer of a treatise or book. (Now often used to include authoress.)

c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 267 Ȝif holy writt be fals, certis god autor þer-of is fals. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 88 Of manye a geste As autourys seyn. 1432–50 tr. Higden (1865) I. 7 A tretys, excerpte of diverse labores of auctores. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1874) II. 26 The noble actor plinius. 1578 Lyte Dodoens 499 Wherof both Turner and this Aucthor do write. 1678 R. Lestrange Seneca's Mor. To Reader, My Choice of the Authour, and of the Subject. 1726 Gay Fables i. x, No author ever spar'd a brother; Wits are game-cocks to one another. 1771 Burke Corr. (1844) I. 275, I am not the author of Junius, and..I know not the author of that paper. 1818 Byron Beppo lxxii, One hates an author that is all author, fellows In foolscap uniforms turned up with ink, So very anxious, clever, fine, and jealous. 1880 Sat. Rev. 20 Nov. 653 What size will the author's writings attain when she gets beyond her studies?

    b. elliptically put for: An author's writings.

1601 Shakes. Twel. N. ii. v. 175, I will reade politicke Authours. 1727 Swift To Earl Oxf. Wks. 1755 III. ii. 42 Cheap'ning old authors on a stall. 1759 Robertson Hist. Scotl. I. ii. 141 Acquainted with the Greek and Roman authors. 1865 Sat. Rev. 5 Aug. 168/1 The names of authors whom they never read.

    4. The person on whose authority a statement is made; an authority, an informant. (Usually with poss. pron. ‘my, his author.’) arch. or Obs.

c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame 314 Non other auttour [v.r. auctour, authour] a-legge I. c 1440 Partonope 392 That ys french which ys myn auctoure. 1529 More Dyaloge 88 b, I wold se a better author therof than such an heretyque as Luther. 1697 W. Dampier Voy. (1729) I. 350 Islands that abound with Gold and Cloves, If I may credit my Author Prince Jeoly, who was born on one of them. 1784 Reid Let. in Wks. I. 63/2, I suspected that the gentleman who was my author had given some colouring to this story.

     5. One who has authority over others; a director, ruler, commander. Obs.

1382 Wyclif Gal. iv. 2 He is under tutours and actouris [v.r. autours; 1388 tutoris; Vulg. auctoribus.]

    6. attrib. and in Comb. See also author-craft. Frequent in appos. use.

1711 Shaftesbury Charac. (1737) I. 214 To recommend this author-charactor to our future princes. Ibid. 226 Wherever the author-practice and liberty of the pen has..prevail'd. a 1806 D. Wordsworth Tour Scotland in Jrnls. (1941) I. 297 The author-tourists have quarrelled with the architecture of it. 1830 Lamb Corr. cxiii. 317 How comfortable to author-rid folks. 1835 Court Mag. VI. 51/1 His peculiarity as an author-actor. 1860 Dickens Lett. (1881) III. 195 All through my author life. 1865 Macm. Mag. Dec. 156 Author-created visitants. 1898 Daily News 21 May 2/2 My friend the author-statesman. 1903 Book Lover Sept. 4/1 The author-artist has been as successful with his pen as with his brush. 1905 Daily Chron. 16 Dec. 8/5 The brilliant young author-manager. 1909 Westm. Gaz. 15 Dec. 1/2 There was only one author-producer in his experience in whose judgment the actor could always trust implicitly. 1922 Joyce Ulysses 449 Bloom. Well, I follow a literary occupation. Author-journalist.

     7. The editor of a journal. Obs.

1697 Flying Post May 18–20 Printed by T. Snowden..for the Author. 1724 Brit. Jrnl. (imprint) London: Printed for T. Warner, at the Black Boy in Pater-Noster-Row, where Advertisements and Letters to the Author are taken in. 1753 Jackson's Oxf. Jrnl. i. 5 May ad fin. Printed by W. Jackson in the High-Street, Oxford: By whom Letters to the Author, Articles of News, and Advertisements are taken.

II. author, v.
    [f. prec. n.]
    1. To be the author of an action; to originate, cause, occasion. Obs. exc. in U.S. use: to be the author or originator of (a book, play, remark, etc.).

1596 Chapman Iliad i. 231 The last foul thing Thou ever author'dst. 1602 Warner Alb. Eng. xiii. lxxviii. (1612) 322 A good God may not aucthor noysome things. 1632 Sir J. Eliot in Four C. Eng. Lett. 65 The divine blessing..which authors all the happiness we receive. 1940 Time 15 Apr. 55/2 Her father..authored several successful plays and movies. 1957 W. C. Handy Father of Blues xxi. 288 He once authored the famous Ziegfeld Midnight Roof productions. 1959 M. Chamberlin Dear Friends & Darling Romans (1960) viii. 182 The saying was authored by some husband. 1967 Boston Sunday Herald 30 Apr. vi. 2/6 She has authored a reference book on the Genus Ilex in China.

     2. To be the author of a statement; to state, declare, say. Obs.

1602 Warner Alb. Eng. Epit. (1612) 352 Brute is authored to haue arriued in this Iland..in the year of the worlds age 2855. 1632 Mass. & Field Fatal Dowry iv. ii, More of him I dare not author.

Oxford English Dictionary

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