Parchment - Definition and Overview

Parchment is a material for the pages of a book or codex, made from fine calf skin, sheep skin or goat skin. Parchment is named after the city Pergamon where it was first invented. One sort of parchment is vellum, a word that is used loosely to mean parchment, and especially for fine parchment, but more accurately refers to parchment made from calf skin (vellum and veal come from the same Latin root). In the Middle Ages calf- and sheep-skin were the preferred materials for making parchment in England and France, while goat-skin was more common in Italy.

See also

• diploma