Peter T. Daniels wrote:

>(There is an unfortunate product called "parchment paper," sold to the
>same people who think they can learn calligraphy from a kit. It is a
>particularly poor quality paper that deteriorates especially quickly
>because of the acids in it.)
>

In cooking "parchment" or "parchment paper" refers to paper which is
impregnated with silicone. Kind of like a high-tech, heat-resistant
waxed paper, and very handy to cook on. All of which is neither here nor
there.

Again referring to B. L. Ullman's _Ancient Writing_, he says that
"parchment" is from Latin _pergamena_ which is from Pergamum, which was
the center of parchment trade, even as Byblos, center of papyrus trade,
gave its name to papyrus in Greek (and of course, to "Bible", "biblio-"
and so forth).

I have no vested interest in Ullman's book, nor can I speak to its
reliability or even to Ullman's reputation in the field; others here
probably know more about that than I do. It just happens to be one that
I have and one that I remember touched on these matters.

~mark