pen [ME] The earliest pens for writing were made from a feather with its quill sharpened and split to form a nib which was dipped in ink. The origin of pen reflects this, going back to Latin penna ‘feather’. The idea that the pen is mightier than the sword appeared in the works of the Latin author Cicero in the 2nd century bc. The origin of Old English pen in the sense of an animal enclosure is not known. See also panache, pin.