postscriptum

See also: post scriptum

English

Alternative forms

• post scriptum; postscript
• PS, P.S., p.s., ps.

Etymology

From Latin postscriptum, from post (“after, behind”) +‎ scrīptum (“text, something written”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌpəʊstˈskɹɪptəm/

Noun

postscriptum (plural postscripta)

1. (rare) A thing that has been written afterwards; something appended in writing.
   • 1827, M. Corbett, The odd volume, containing a letter purporting to be from King James VI of Scotland to Sandie Fotheringhame, Laird o'Powrie, signed: James, R.

     Postscriptum. — Scotland for ever! The Dane’s beneath the table, and Rab’s on the tap o’t, blawing like the deevil.

   • 1900, Honoré de Balzac; Anatole Cerfberr, La Comédie Humaine: Now for the First Time Completely Translated Into English:

     This confidence so daintily tossed to the baron, in the fashion of a postscriptum, was evidently the compensation for five thousand francs.

   • 2004, L. G. Aslamazov; A. A. Varlamov, The Wonders Of Physics:

     Postscriptum for taxpayers: After having started with the high-temperature thriller we turned to applications of conventional superconductors.

Usage notes

• Used to indicate a footnote at the end of a letter. Generally abbreviated PS or similar (ps, p.s., etc).
• Addenda following an initial post script are often abbreviated PPS or similar (p.p.s, P.P.S, etc), indicating "post post scriptum".

Translations

something written afterward

• Armenian: հետգրություն (hy) (hetgrutʿyun), Հ.Գ. (H.G.)
• Belarusian: постскрыптум n (póstskryptum)
• Czech: postskriptum n
• Dutch: postscriptum (nl) n, P.S.; nota bene (nl), NB (nl)
• Finnish: jälkikirjoitus (fi)
• French: post-scriptum (fr)
• German: Postskriptum (de) n
• Georgian: პოსტსკრიპტუმი (ṗosṭsḳriṗṭumi)
• Greek: υστερόγραφο (el) (ysterógrafo) or Υ.Γ. (el) (Y.G.)
• Hungarian: utóirat (hu)
• Icelandic: eftirmáli (is) m, eftirskrift f or e.s., p.s. (is), n.b.
• Italian: poscritto m
• Japanese: 追伸 (ja) (tsuishin)
• Latin: post scriptum
• Polish: postscriptum n
• Portuguese: pós-escrito (pt) m, postscriptum (pt) m
• Russian: постскри́птум (ru) m (postskríptum)
• Spanish: posdata (es) f, P. D., post scriptum
• Tagalog: habol
• Ukrainian: постскри́птум n (postskrýptum)

Dutch

Etymology

From Latin postscriptum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌpɔstˈskrɪp.tʏm/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

postscriptum n (plural postscriptums or postscripta, diminutive postscriptumpje n)

1. post scriptum

Usage notes

Usually abbreviated as P.S..

French

Etymology

From Latin post scriptum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɔst.skʁip.tɔm/, /pos.kʁip.tɔm/
• Homophones: postscriptums, post-scriptum, post-scriptums, post scriptum

Noun

postscriptum m (plural postscriptums)

1. Alternative form of post-scriptum

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Latin post scriptum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /postˈskrip.tum/
• Rhymes: -iptum
• Hyphenation: post‧scrìp‧tum

Noun

postscriptum m (invariable)

1. postscript, post scriptum

   Synonym: poscritto

Latin

Verb

postscrīptum

1. accusative supine of postscrībō

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Latin postscrīptum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɔstˈskrip.tum/
• Rhymes: -iptum
• Syllabification: post‧scrip‧tum

Noun

postscriptum n (abbreviation PS)

1. (library science, literary) postscriptum (annotation at the end of a letter or article used to inform the reader of something loosely related or unrelated to the subject of the letter or article)
2. (library science, literary) postscriptum (series of additional pieces of information given at the end of a programme, speech, or book, or in the form of a separate text, to clarify, supplement, or summarize an earlier message)

Declension

Declension of postscriptum

	singular	plural
nominative	postscriptum	postscripta
genitive	postscriptum	postscriptów
dative	postscriptum	postscriptom
accusative	postscriptum	postscripta
instrumental	postscriptum	postscriptami
locative	postscriptum	postscriptach
vocative	postscriptum	postscripta

Further reading

• postscriptum in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• postscriptum in Polish dictionaries at PWN