käsikiri

Käsikiri is an Estonian term used to denote a manuscript or document written by hand, as opposed to one produced by printing or typesetting. The word combines käs- meaning “hand” and kiri meaning “writing” or “letter,” reflecting its hand-produced nature.

Historically, käsikirjad were created by scribes in scriptoria or other writing settings, often within monasteries, churches, or early educational institutions. They were written on parchment or paper and could include decorative elements such as initials, illumination, and marginalia. Käsikirjad encompassed a range of text types, including liturgical books, legal documents, scientific works, and literary texts, and they played a central role in the transmission of knowledge before the advent of printing.

In modern Estonian usage, the explicit term käsikiri is relatively uncommon outside of historical contexts. The concept is usually expressed with the word manuskript (manuscript) or described as something written by hand (käsitsi kirjutatud). Nevertheless, käsikiri remains a relevant term in the study of archival materials, philology, and bibliography, where it is used to refer to specific handwritten documents from past centuries. See also manuscript, scriptoria, palimpsest.