manuscrit

Manuscrit is a handwritten or typewritten text that has not yet been printed or published; in modern usage, the term is used in French and occasionally in English to denote the original text that predates formal printing. The word derives from Latin manus scriptus, "written by hand." Historically, manuscripts were produced by scribes in scriptoria, often on parchment or vellum; later on paper, and in East Asia on scrolls or bound codices.

Manuscripts vary by purpose: literary, religious, scientific, legal, and musical. Illuminated manuscripts from the medieval period combine text with decorative initials and miniature paintings. The codex form replaced scrolls and facilitated access, copying, and preservation. Paleography, the study of handwriting, helps date and locate manuscripts and establish context.

Production involved preparation of materials, copying, correcting, glossing, and commentary. Preservation challenges include decay, moisture, and fire; libraries, archives, and modern digitization projects aim to conserve and make texts accessible.

In contemporary usage, a manuscript is an author's unedited draft submitted for publication, or a handwritten original in research contexts. In digital age, many manuscripts have been digitized and are available in online catalogs with metadata and searchable texts.