Forms: 4–6 autour, 4–7 autor, 5 awtor, autere, 5–6 auctoure, -tore, actour, -tor, 5–7 auctour, -tor, 6 aucthour, 6–7 aucthor, 6–8 authour, 6– author. [a. AF. autour = OF. autor, later auteur, ad. L. auctor, agent-noun f. augēre to make to grow, originate, promote, increase. Already in 14th c. F., occasionally written auct- after L., which became the ordinary spelling in Eng. in 15–16th c., and was further corrupted to act-, from med.L. confusion of auctor and actor. The spelling auth- seems to have been at first a scribal variant of aut- (cf. rhetor, rethour) in 15–16th c. F., and appeared in Eng. c. 1550, being at first applied to the form auctour so as to make aucthour. It is impossible to say to what extent these factitious spellings affected the spoken word, or when the modern pronunciation was established.]
1. gen. The person who originates or gives existence to anything: a. An inventor, constructor or founder. Now obs. of things material; exc. as in b.
c. 1384. Wyclif, De Eccl., ix. Sel. Wks. 1871, III. 359. Þis [lawe] mut passe alle oþir siþ þe auctor is þe beste.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Parson’s Tale, 808. The auctour [v.r. auctor, actour, autere] of matrimonye, that is Crist.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys, Introd. 1. The efficyent cause is the auctour Wych … doth hys labour To acomplyse the begunne matere.
1576. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 297. One Robert Creuequer, the authour of the Castle.
1663. Gerbier, Counsel, C iij a. The Author of the Piazza.
1699. Lond. Gaz., No. 3532/4. (Advt.) The Author of the Rich Cordial called Nectar and Ambrosia, is Removed to Mr. Hugh Newmans.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., xxix. (1857), 211. The Authour of our religion.
1865. Mill, Liberty, ii. 18/1. The authors and abettors of the rule.
b. (of all, of nature, of the universe, etc.) The Creator.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, III. 1016. But o þou Ioue, o autour of nature!
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 44. Crist, autor of al þing.
1508. Fisher, Wks., I. 198. Auctour and maker of all thynges.
1714. Addison, Spect., No. 571, ¶ 7. The great Author of Nature.
1853. Robertson, Serm., Ser. III. iv. (1872), 55. The Father the Author of our being … He is the Author of all life.
c. He who gives rise to or causes an action, event, circumstance, state, or condition of things.
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, I. xvii. 14. An open lyer and autour of al falshede.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., II. v. (1838), 287. Auctore of pride is the fende; auctor of concupiscence of eyene is the worlde.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., II. vi. 138. The immediate Author of their variance.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 6. Ane lover, and ane auctor of peace.
1653. Holcroft, Procopius, I. 15. Authour of the mischiefs.
1865. Mill, Liberty, ii. 16/1. The authors of such splendid benefits.
1884. Chr. World, 5 June, 417/1. The author of the Zulu war.
† d. He who authorizes or instigates; the prompter or mover. Obs.
1570. Ascham, Scholem. (Arb.), 69. Som … in Courte were authors that honest Citizens … shoulde watche at euerie gate.
1578. Timme, Calvin on Gen., 159. Neither will I be the author to give liberty.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., I. i. 435. The Gods … for-fend, I should be Authour to dishonour you!
1656. Hobbes, Liberty, etc. (1841), 214. Author, is he which owneth an action, or giveth a warrant to do it.
2. spec. † a. One who begets; a father, an ancestor. Obs. (exc. in Author of his being: cf. 1 c.)
c. 1300. K. Alis., 4519. My riches, and my tressours, And alle hath do myn autors.
1660. Bloome, Archit., A b. Tuscanus, who is reported to be the generall Author of the Germans.
1718. Pope, Iliad, VI. 254. The honour’d author of my birth and name.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. i. (1865), 9. Old Walter Plumer (his reputed author).
1850. Thackeray, Pendennis, xxvii. (1863), 227. The author of her being, her persecuted … murdered father.
3. esp. and absol. One who sets forth written statements; the composer or writer of a treatise or book. (Now often used to include authoress.)
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 267. Ȝif holy writt be fals, certis god autor þer-of is fals.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 88. Of manye a geste As autourys seyn.
1432–50. trans. Higden (1865), I. 7. A tretys, excerpte of diverse labores of auctores.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1874), II. 26. The noble actor plinius.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 499. Wherof both Turner and this Aucthor do write.
1678. R. L’Estrange, Seneca’s Mor., To Reader. My Choice of the Authour, and of the Subject.
1726. Gay, Fables, I. x. No author ever spar’d a brother; Wits are game-cocks to one another.
1771. Burke, Corr. (1844), I. 275. I am not the author of Junius, and … I know not the author of that paper.
1818. Byron, Beppo, lxxii. One hates an author that is all author, fellows In foolscap uniforms turned up with ink, So very anxious, clever, fine, and jealous.
1880. Sat. Rev., 20 Nov., 653. What size will the author’s writings attain when she gets beyond her studies?
b. elliptically put for: An author’s writings.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., II. v. 175. I will reade politicke Authours.
1727. Swift, To Earl Oxf., Wks. 1755, III. II. 42. Cheap’ning old authors on a stall.
1759. Robertson, Hist. Scotl., I. II. 141. Acquainted with the Greek and Roman authors.
1865. Sat. Rev., 5 Aug., 168/1. The names of authors whom they never read.
4. The person on whose authority a statement is made; an authority, an informant. (Usually with poss. pron. ‘my, his author.’) arch. or Obs.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, 314. Non other auttour [v.r. auctour, authour] a-legge I.
c. 1440. Partonope, 392. That ys french which ys myn auctoure.
1529. More, Dyaloge, 88 b. I wold se a better author therof than such an heretyque as Luther.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1729), I. 350. Islands that abound with Gold and Cloves, If I may credit my Author Prince Jeoly, who was born on one of them.
1784. Reid, Lett., in Wks. I. 63/2. I suspected that the gentleman who was my author had given some colouring to this story.
† 5. One who has authority over others; a director, ruler, commander. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Gal. iv. 2. He is under tutours and actouris [v.r. autours; 1388 tutoris; Vulg. auctoribus.]
6. attrib. and in Comb. See also AUTHOR-CRAFT.
1712. Shaftesb., Charac. (1737), I. 214. To recommend this author-charactor to our future princes. Ibid., 226. Wherever the author-practice and liberty of the pen has … prevail’d.
1830. Lamb, Corr., cxiii. 317. How comfortable to author-rid folks.
1860. Dickens, Lett. (1881), III. 195. All through my author life.
1865. Macm. Mag., Dec., 156. Author-created visitants.
