text

Where does the word "text" come from? It comes from Latin textus, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Text’s story begins in Latin: textus meant “something woven, a woven style.” Literally something woven, a style of writing, from texere (to weave). It reached English by 1300s as text. Settled as the English word for the original wording of a written work. Today, text means the written or printed words of a book, document, or message.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient textus "something woven, a woven style", literally something woven, a style of writing, from texere (to weave).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s text "the written or printed words of a work", settled as the English word for the original wording of a written work.