1853, from uni- "one" + Late Latin camera "chamber" (see camera) + -al (1).

late 14c., "something written, a written document," earlier scrite (c. 1300), from Anglo-French scrit, Old French escrit "piece of writing, written paper; credit note, IOU; deed, bond" (Modern French écrit) and directly from Latin scriptum "a writing, book; law; line, mark," noun use of neuter past participle of scribere "to write" (from PIE root *skribh- "to cut, separate, sift"). The original notion is of carving marks in stone, wood, etc.

The meaning "handwriting, handwritten characters, style of handwriting" (as distinguished from print (n.)) is recorded by 1860; earlier, in typography, script was the name for a face cut to resemble handwriting (1838). Theatrical use, short for manuscript, is attested from 1884. In the study of language, "a writing system," by 1883.

The importance of Rome to the spread of civilization in Europe is attested by the fact that the word for "write" in Celtic and Germanic (as well as Romanic) languages derives from scribere (French écrire, Irish scriobhaim, Welsh ysgrifennu, German schreiben "to write," Dutch schrift "writing"). The cognate Old English scrifan means "to allot, assign, decree, to fine" (see shrive; also compare Old Norse skript "penance"). Modern English instead uses write (v.) to express this action.

1935, "adapt (a written work) for broadcasting or film," from script (n.). Figurative sense, "following prescribed directions," is by 1977. Related: Scripted; scripting.

"script from which a motion picture is made," 1916, from screen (n.) in the cinematic sense + play (n.).

"volume of writings by various scholars presented as a tribute or memorial to a veteran scholar," 1898, from German Festschrift, literally "festival writing" (see -fest + script (n.)).

1982, abbreviated from wussy.

Mike Damone: "You are a wuss: part wimp, and part pussy"

["Fast Times at Ridgemont High" script, 1982]

of or pertaining to the large group of native people of the Yucatan, or to their ancient civilization, at its peak c. 250 C.E. to 9c., noted for its fully developed written script, mathematics (which included zero), and astronomy; 1822, from the native name. Related: Mayan (1831).

"something fantastically curved or twisted," 1843, American English, from combining form of curly. The cue is perhaps from French queue "tail" or an image from the letter Q in its looping script form. Earlier in this sense was the rhyming reduplication curlie-wurlie (1772).

1650s, "repetition of the same sound or letter at the beginning of words in close succession," from Modern Latin alliterationem (nominative alliteratio), noun of action from past-participle stem of alliterare "to begin with the same letter," from Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + littera (also litera) "letter, script" (see letter (n.1)). Related: Alliterational.

also re-make, "make anew, reconstruct," 1630s, from re- "back, again" + make (v.). Related: Remade; remaking. As a noun, in reference to movies, "a new making of a film or script (typically with different actors)," by 1933 ("Smilin' Through"). The verb was used of movies by 1910s).