pseudepigraph
|pseud-ep-i-graph|
🇺🇸
/ˌsuːdəˈpɪɡræf/
🇬🇧
/ˌsjuːdəˈpɪɡrəf/
falsely attributed writing
Etymology
'pseudepigraph' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'pseudēpigraphḗ', where 'pseud-' meant 'false' and 'epigraphe' meant 'inscription' or 'writing'.
'pseudepigraph' passed into Late Latin/Medieval Latin as 'pseudepigraphum' / 'pseudepigrapha' and was adopted into English in scholarly contexts to denote falsely attributed writings.
Initially, it literally meant 'falsely inscribed' or 'false inscription', but over time it evolved into the current sense of 'a writing falsely attributed to a particular author' (especially in religious or historical scholarship).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a work (often a text) written by someone other than the person to whom it is attributed; a falsely attributed writing.
The scholar argued that the letter was a pseudepigraph, not actually written by the historical figure named on it.
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Noun 2
in biblical and religious studies, an ancient non-canonical writing attributed to a biblical figure (often grouped collectively as the 'Pseudepigrapha').
Many books classified among the Pseudepigrapha were written in the centuries around the turn of the era and reflect diverse religious views.
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Last updated: 2025/12/10 10:42