"a pillar, long, cylindrical architectural support," also "vertical division of a page," from Old French colombe (12c., Modern French colonne "column, pillar"), from Latin columna "pillar," collateral form of columen "top, summit," from PIE root *kel-(2) "to be prominent; hill," from PIE root *kel-(2) "to be prominent; hill." The original meaning of column was that of a tall stone or wooden post. Later it came to mean any monument erected in honor of someone. The earliest examples of the word "column" are Greek and they refer to the tall monoliths known as sykophants (συκοφάται) which were used by rulers to celebrate victories and other eventsful occasions. These were made of wood covered with metal plates and often included an ivory statue mounted on top. In English, the word "column" comes from French via Latin. Before the introduction of the printing press in 1455, when most books were published individually, columns were important for keeping track of what had been written by whom. So the first writers to use the term "column" did not have paper nor printers ink at their disposal, and so they needed another way to identify their work. Among other things, columns provided information about the author's name and place of birth, death, and residence. They could also indicate whether the person was a priest or a monk, a citizen or a foreigner.