Pseudepigrapha
/ˌsuːdɪˈpɪɡrəfə/noun
Writings falsely attributed to someone else, especially ancient religious texts.
Did you know?The term comes from Greek, where pseudo- means “false” and epigrapha means “things written on,” so the word itself exposes the ancient practice of attaching a famous name to a text for authority.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
pseud- + epigrapha
“false writings; writings falsely ascribed to someone”
Late Latin
Latin
pseudepigrapha
“false writings or falsely attributed works”
17th–19th Century
English
pseudepigrapha
“apocryphal writings, especially those falsely attributed to biblical figures”
Modern English
English
pseudepigrapha
“a body of writings falsely attributed to an author, especially in religious contexts”