Does word processing belong to the history of writing or the history of computing? The answer is not obvious. The conjoining of the word “word” with the word “processing” or “processor” has at various times been used to denote principles of office management, an actual person (typically female), a physical hardware device, or a piece of intangible software. It has also encompassed not only the written production of text with a keyboard but also verbal dictation, shorthand note taking, and the duplication, mailing, and filing of documents.