'Paper' is named after Egyptian papyrus — but true paper was invented in China. The name and the thing are unrelated.
A thin material produced by pressing together moist fibres, typically of wood pulp, used for writing, drawing, or wrapping.
From Anglo-French 'papir,' from Latin 'papȳrus,' from Greek 'pápūros' (the papyrus plant, writing material made from it), likely borrowed from an Egyptian word. Though true paper (made from pulped fibers) was invented in China around 105 CE by Cai Lun, the English word derives from the much older Egyptian writing material — papyrus — which was made by a completely different process. The word outlived and
Paper and papyrus are etymologically the same word but technologically unrelated. Papyrus is made by layering thin strips of a reed plant. Paper is made by pulping fibers into a slurry and pressing them into sheets. The Chinese invention replaced the Egyptian product but inherited its name through Latin and Greek — a word that
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