Etymograph

English

creed

Creed comes from Latin crēdō ‘to believe’, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱḗr ‘heart’, and ultimately from *ḱerd-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱerd-‘heart’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱḗr‘heart’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱréd-dʰeh₁-ti‘to trust, believe’literally ‘to place one's heart’reconstructedcompound phrase of oblique case form of *ḱḗr
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*krezdōreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrēdō‘to believe’
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150crēda
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500crede
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1604creed

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱerd-‘heart’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱḗr‘heart’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱréd-dʰeh₁-ti‘to trust, believe’literally ‘to place one's heart’reconstructedcompound phrase of oblique case form of *ḱḗr
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*krezdōreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrēdō‘to believe’
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150crēda
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500crede
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1604creed

Earliest quotation: 1604, Jeremy Corderoy, A Short Dialogve: “[N]ow ſuch a liue vngodly, vvithout a care of…”

The story

Creed is cognate with Old Irish creitid (‘to believe’), Sanskrit श्रद्दधाति (śráddadhāti, “to have faith or faithfulness, to have belief or confidence, believe”).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱerd- ‘heart’

record, encourage, courage, accord, concord, discord, heartstrings, myocardium, 7 more

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱḗr ‘heart’

heart, cardiac, 1 more

through Latin crēdō ‘to believe’

credit, incredible, credibility, credible, credence, incredulous, incredulity, credo, credulity, credulous, 8 more

Today it means

noun That which is believed; accepted doctrine, especially religious doctrine; a particular set of beliefs; any summary of principles or opinions professed or adhered to.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱerd- / creed

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