Where does “characters” come from?
Characters descends from Middle English caracter, Old French caractere, Latin character, and Ancient Greek χαρακτήρ, derived from χαράσσω meaning to engrave or scratch, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer-.
characters (English): plural of character
Definitions
- plural of character
Ancestry of “characters”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | character | A being involved in the action of a story; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | caracter | — |
| 3 | Old French | caractere | mark; sign; indication |
| 4 | Latin | character | branding iron; brand; characteristic, mark,... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | χαρακτήρ | instrument used for engraving; person who... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | χαράσσω | to sharpen; to engrave, carve, write, draw, stamp |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰer- | to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines |