02/19/03’s illustrious band:

Indite

Today’s inditement brought to you by the invaluable A Word A Day service.

Indite (in-DYT) verb tr.
To write or to compose.
[From Middle English enditen, from Old French enditer, from Vulgar Latinin dictare (to compose), from Latin indicere (to proclaim), from in- + dicere (to say).]

Wordsmith says it best today:

“Google for the term ‘was indited’ and a few hundred citations show up where the writer clearly meant to use the word ‘indict.’ While that usage is incorrect, etymologically speaking, those writers are not too far off the mark. When someone is indicted, he literally has charges written against him. The word ‘indict’ is simply a spelling variant of ‘indite’ that acquired a distinct sense over time. Other words that derive from the same Latin root dicere (to say) are: dictionary, dictum, ditto, ditty, benediction, contradict, valediction, predict, verdict, and their many cousins.”

For those who thought I ought to attend law school: See, I’ve been inditing all along.

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