ketiva

Ketiva, written as כתיבה in Hebrew, is a noun meaning writing or script. It denotes both the act of writing and the written text itself. In modern Hebrew, ketiva is commonly used to refer to handwriting, calligraphy, and the creation of documents, letters, or other written material. The term also appears in discussions of literary or typographic style and may indicate the craft of producing written work.

In linguistic and textual studies, ketiva is closely linked to the concept of ketiv and kere. Ketiva refers to the written form of a word as it appears in the consonantal text, while kere (קריאה) indicates how the text is read aloud. The Masoretic tradition often notes a ketiv-kere pair to reflect a textual discrepancy between spelling and pronunciation. This distinction is central to certain biblical annotations and scholarly editions.

Religious usage includes the precise writing required for sacred documents. The ketubah, the Jewish marriage contract, is an example where exact ketiva is essential. The act of scribing a Torah scroll, tefillin, or mezuzot is described as a sacred ketiva performed by a trained scribe (sofer), highlighting the ritual and legal importance of accurate writing in Jewish practice.

Etymology and scope: ketiva derives from the Hebrew root כתב (k-t-v), meaning “to write.” The term spans everyday writing, literary composition, and the technical conventions of scriptural text. In contemporary contexts, ketiva encompasses handwriting, typography, and formal document production, maintaining its core sense of the written record.