Authorless

/ˈɔːθərləs/ adjective

Definition

Without an author; having no identifiable writer, creator, or person responsible for its creation.

Etymology

From 'author' plus '-less' (Old English suffix meaning 'without'). The term describes works where authorship is unknown, anonymous, or absent.

Kelly Says

Much of human cultural heritage is 'authorless'—ancient myths, folk tales, medieval manuscripts with no signatures—and modern copyright culture has made us so obsessed with authorship that we've almost forgotten what it was like when stories belonged to everyone and no one.

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