English
identity
Identity comes from Middle English ydemptite, from Middle French identité and Late Latin idemptitās, from idem ‘the same’, modelled on Greek ταὐτότης.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEidem‘the same’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEidemptitās
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600identité
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ydemptite
- Englishearliest quotation 1664identity
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEidem‘the same’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEidemptitās
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600identité
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ydemptite
- Englishearliest quotation 1664identity
Earliest quotation: 1664, Henry More, London: […] James Flesher: “But whenas a leſſer number of Agreements in each…”
Every English word from Latin idem
Today it means
noun Sameness, identicalness; the quality or fact of (several specified things) being the same.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin idem / identity