1693: Paper Making and 'watermarks' Aug 3, 2019

In Western Europe from the 12th-19th centuries (esp. the 14th-18th centuries) so-called 'laid paper' was the dominant form of paper-making. While most paper made today does not have this style, there are subtle traces in the language. Laid paper is made by placing a wired sieve in water mixed with linen-pulp, and then leaving it to dry. This would leave small lines across the paper that were thinner where the pulp fell on the sieve. Paper manufacturers would also put symbols on these sieves as a sort of stamp, and this mark was called a 'watermark' as it was made from the water evaporating off while the paper dried over it. The term is now used for other symbols used for protecting copyrights.

For another example of paper-making's effect on language, click here: 'Stationary' and 'Stationery'