1590s, "action of adding in writing;" c. 1600, "attribution of authorship or origin," from Latin ascriptionem (nominative ascriptio) "an addition in writing," noun of action from past-participle stem of ascribere "to write in, add to in a writing; impute, attribute," from ad "to" (see ad-) + scribere "to write" (from PIE root *skribh- "to cut").