Etymograph

English

charter

Charter comes from Latin chartula ‘a little paper’, from Ancient Greek χᾰρᾰ́σσω ‘to scratch’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰer-‘to scratch’reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχᾰρᾰ́σσωkhărắssō‘to scratch’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEχάρτηςkhártēs‘sheet of paper’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcharta‘papyrus, paper’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEchartula‘a little paper’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400chartre
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500charter
  8. Englishearliest quotation c. 1608–1609same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰer-‘to scratch’reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχᾰρᾰ́σσωkhărắssō‘to scratch’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEχάρτηςkhártēs‘sheet of paper’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcharta‘papyrus, paper’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEchartula‘a little paper’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400chartre
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500charter
  8. Englishearliest quotation c. 1608–1609same form

Earliest quotation: c. 1608–1609, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Coriolanus: “My mother, / Who has a charter to extol…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- ‘to scratch’

girl, rocket, chronic, chorus, synchronous, crony, urchin, synchronize, cron, germanium, 33 more

through Ancient Greek χάρτης ‘sheet of paper’

cartoon, 12 more

through Latin charta ‘papyrus, paper’

card, cartridge, cartel, carton, carte, cartography, cartouche, 10 more

Today it means

noun A document issued by some authority, creating a public or private institution, and defining its purposes and privileges.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- / charter

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