papyrus
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papyrus
A writing-material-like product made in antiquity from the stems of the papyrus plant. It was the precursor of paper and was usually used in the form of scrolls.
Die alten Ägypter schrieben ihre Hieroglyphen auf Rollen aus Papyrus.
The ancient Egyptians wrote their hieroglyphs on scrolls made of papyrus.
As a loanword, 'Papyrus' has a special plural: 'die Papyri' (the papyri). This form is almost always used when talking about the ancient written documents (meaning 2).
Archäologen haben mehrere antike Papyri in der Wüste gefunden.
Archaeologists found several ancient papyri in the desert.
To distinguish the meanings: when 'Papyrus' (papyrus) refers to the uncountable material, prepositions like 'aus' (from/made of) or 'auf' (on) often come before it. When a countable document is meant, you find verbs like 'lesen' (to read), 'finden' (to find), or 'entziffern' (to decipher).
Man lernte, aus Papyrus ein schreibbares Material herzustellen.
People learned to make a writable material from papyrus.
When the plant is meant, 'Papyrus' (papyrus) often appears in a botanical or geographical context. Typical verbs are 'wachsen' (to grow) or 'pflanzen' (to plant), often in connection with places like 'Ufer' (bank/shore) or 'Garten' (garden).
Die Papyrus-Pflanze benötigt viel Wasser und Sonne zum Wachsen.
The papyrus plant needs a lot of water and sun to grow.
When referring to the writing material, typical phrases are 'auf Papyrus schreiben' (to write on papyrus), 'eine Rolle aus Papyrus' (a scroll made of papyrus), or 'ein Bogen Papyrus' (a sheet of papyrus).
Die Nachricht wurde auf einem kleinen Stück Papyrus geschrieben.
The message was written on a small piece of papyrus.
paper
'das Papier' and 'der Papyrus' can both refer to a material used for writing. 'Papier' is the normal modern material for letters, notebooks, printers, or packaging. 'Papyrus' belongs mainly in historical contexts: it was an ancient writing material made from a plant, and the word can also mean an ancient written document on that material. Learners may confuse the words because papyrus seems like an earlier form of paper. In modern everyday life, however, you say 'Papier'. 'Papyrus' fits better when talking about history, museums, or old texts.
Im Museum zeigt die Führerin einen alten Papyrus aus Ägypten.
In the museum, the guide shows an old papyrus from Egypt.
Nach dem Telefonat schreibe ich die Adresse auf ein Stück Papier.
After the phone call, I write the address on a piece of paper.