'picture-writing' originates from Modern English, formed as a compound of the words 'picture' and 'writing', where 'picture' comes ultimately from Latin 'pictūra' meaning 'a painting' and 'writing' comes from Old English 'writan' meaning 'to scratch, draw, write'.

'picture' came into English via Old French and Latin ('pictūra'), and 'writing' from Old English 'writan'; the compound 'picture-writing' developed in Modern English to describe pictorial modes of writing.

Initially used simply to describe writing made of pictures or drawings, it has retained that basic sense and is still used to refer to pictographic writing systems or individual pictorial inscriptions.