Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “charter” come from?

charter (Middle English) comes from Old French chartre, from Latin chartula, from Latin charta, from French cartel, from Italian cartello, from Italian carta, from Latin carta, from Ancient Greek χάρτης — to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines.

Ancestry of “charter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchchartrecharter; covenant; written agreement; record;...
2LatinchartulaDiminutive of charta a little paper; memorandum
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 “charter”

  • charter
  • charterer
  • recharter
  • charterless
  • chartermaster
  • charterable
  • chárter
  • charter
  • charter
  • charter
  • čarter
  • cata
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- →