Etymology The word book comes from the Old English , which in turn likely comes from the Germanic root , cognate to "beech". In Slavic languages like Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian —"letter" is cognate with "beech". In Russian, Serbian and Macedonian, the word () or () refers to a primary school textbook that helps young children master the techniques of reading and writing. It is thus conjectured that the earliest Indo-European writings may have been carved on beech wood. The Latin word , meaning a book in the modern sense (bound and with separate leaves), originally meant "block of wood".
Etymology The word book comes from the Old English , which in turn likely comes from the Germanic root , cognate to "beech". In Slavic languages like Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian —"letter" is cognate with "beech". In Russian, Serbian and Macedonian, the word () or () refers to a primary school textbook that helps young children master the techniques of reading and writing. It is thus conjectured that the earliest Indo-European writings may have been carved on beech wood. The Latin word , meaning a book in the modern sense (bound and with separate leaves), originally meant "block of wood".