Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “card” come from?

Card comes from Middle French cardinal, derived from Latin charta meaning paper, with the suffix -alis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to turn or cut.

card (English): A playing card; Any game using playing cards; a...

Definitions

  1. A playing card; Any game using playing cards; a...

Ancestry of “card”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcardeplaying card
2Old FrenchcarteAlternative form of chartre
3Latinchartapapyrus, paper; poem, a writing; map
4Frenchcartela cartel
5Italiancartellosign, notice, placard, signboard; signpost, road...
6Italiancartapaper; map; menu
7Latincartapapyrus; letter etc
8Ancient Greekχάρτηςsheet of paper, paper; book
9Ancient Greekχαράσσωto sharpen; to engrave, carve, write, draw, stamp
10Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰer-to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines

Words derived from “card”

  • cardboard
  • discard
  • postcard
  • scorecard
  • wildcard
  • cardholder
  • flashcard
  • carder
  • keycard
  • microcard
  • cardroom
  • notecard
  • cardplaying
  • bankcard
  • undercard
  • Kardex
  • cardcase
  • cardsharp
  • MetroCard
  • upcard
  • timecard
  • cardplayer
  • discardable
  • drawcard
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- →