Where does “identity card” come from?
identity card (English) comes from English card, from Middle English carde, from Old French carte, from Latin charta, from French cartel, from Italian cartello, from Italian carta, from Latin carta — to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines.
identity card (English): A card or badge showing the official identity of the bearer
Definitions
- A card or badge showing the official identity of the bearer
Ancestry of “identity card”, step by step
identity card traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English card
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | card | A playing card; Any game using playing cards; a... |
| 2 | Middle English | carde | playing card |
| 3 | Old French | carte | Alternative form of chartre |
| 4 | Latin | charta | papyrus, paper; poem, a writing; map |
| 5 | French | cartel | a cartel |
| 6 | Italian | cartello | sign, notice, placard, signboard; signpost, road... |
| 7 | Italian | carta | paper; map; menu |
| 8 | Latin | carta | papyrus; letter etc |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | χάρτης | sheet of paper, paper; book |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | χαράσσω | to sharpen; to engrave, carve, write, draw, stamp |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰer- | to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines |