transcribi

Transcribi is the present passive infinitive of the Latin verb transcribo, meaning “to be transcribed” or “to be copied.” The form arises from the verb transcribo, which itself is built from the prefix trans- (across, through) and scribo (to write). As a passive infinitive, transcribi corresponds to the action of being transcribed rather than performing the action oneself.

Grammatical usage in Latin centers on the passive infinitive’s role in various verbal constructions, including indirect discourse, indirect commands, and passive periphrasis. It can appear in clauses where the subject is understood to undergo the action of transcription, rather than perform it. For example, a sentence such as “Magister librum transcribi iubet” translates roughly as “The teacher orders the book to be transcribed.” The passive infinitive can also appear in more complex sentence patterns found in legal, scholarly, or manuscript contexts.

In translation and study, transcribi is often encountered alongside its active counterpart transcribo, and with related derivatives of scribo (scribi, scriptus). Understanding transcribi helps illuminate Latin’s system of infinitives and how passive voice interacts with directing verbs, coordination, and reported speech.

See also: transcribo, scribo, Latin infinitives, Latin grammar, manuscript transcription.