A book in handwritten form, especially a book of Scripture, classics, or ancient texts.

In the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D., the codex began to replace the older scroll as the preferred form for longer writings. Unlike the scroll, this wonderful invention permitted writing on both sides of a sheet, made it easy to locate a particular passage, and could contain a very long piece of writing. Codices (note this unusual plural form) were usually written on parchment, the specially prepared skin of a sheep or goat, or papyrus, the ancestor of paper. Because codices were handwritten, there were few copies of any single codex, and sometimes only a single copy. Today we no longer write our books in longhand, but the modern book has kept basically the same form as the original codices.

(1) An amendment or addition made to a will. (2) An appendix or supplement.

A codicil is literally a “little *codex,*” a little bit of writing on a small piece of writing material, used to add to or change something about a larger piece of writing. A codicil to a will can change the terms of the original will completely, so it generally requires witnesses just like the will itself, though in some states a handwritten codicil may not. In mystery novels, such changes have been known to cause murders; in real life, codicils aren't usually quite that exciting.

To arrange according to a system; classify.

A *code* is a collection of laws arranged in an orderly way; famous examples include the Code of Hammurabi, from about 1760 B.C. in ancient Babylon, and the Napoleonic Code, produced at Napoleon's orders in 1804. Laws that have been included in a code have been codified. The rules of baseball differed greatly from one place to another until they were codified by Alexander Cartwright in 1845; they haven't changed much since, though we don't know what Cartwright would say about the designated hitter.

(1) To put a coded message into an understandable form. (2) To find the underlying meaning of; decipher.

To *decode* is to take out of *code* and put into understandable language. (Its opposite is *encode,* “to put into coded form.”) But dreams may sometimes also be decoded; psychologists often try to decode the images of their patients' dreams so as to understand the emotions behind them. And readers must often decode what a novel or story or poem is telling them, which may require two or three readings. *Decipher* is often a synonym, though we now use it when talking about reading difficult handwriting.

(1) To be a sign of something; to mean something. (2) To show or make known, especially by a sign.

*Signify* basically means “to make a sign or signal.” One of its synonyms is *indicate*; the *index finger* is the finger you point with, so to indicate is essentially to point to something. *Significant* means “important” and *significance* means “importance” ; similarly, *insignificant* means “unimportant” and *insignificance* means “lack of importance.”

A badge of authority or honor; a distinguishing sign or mark.

Insignia are the official signs of rank, titles, or awards. Medals are an example, as are the crowns of monarchs. The Catholic church employs such insignia as the red robes of cardinals. U.S. presidents have the presidential seal, which appears on the stand when they're giving a speech. But most of us think first of the bars, stripes, badges, and patches of military rank.

A signatory puts his or her *signature* on a document that is also *signed* by others. In 1215 the English barons revolted against King John and forced him to join them as a signatory to the Magna Carta. This agreement stated the barons' own duties to the King but also *assigned* the barons clear rights and limited the King's power over them. Though the Magna Carta did nothing for the common people, it's often been called the first step toward democracy in the English-speaking countries.

(1) A seal used instead of a signature to give personal or official authority to a document. (2) A small engraved seal, often in the form of a ring.

Signets have been used for thousands of years. The design of a signet is personalized for its owner, and no two are alike. The ancients used signets to mark their possessions and to sign contracts. In later years signets were used to stamp a blob of hot wax sealing a folded secret document so that it couldn't be opened and read without the design being broken. The Pope still wears a signet, called the Fisherman's Ring, which is carved with a figure of St. Peter encircled with the Pope's name; after a Pope's death, the ring is destroyed and a new one is made.