Character
/ˈkær.ək.tər/noun
A distinctive mark, symbol, or the qualities that identify a person or thing.
Did you know?In its oldest Greek sense, a character was literally an engraved stamp or branded mark—something pressed into a surface, like a permanent signature of power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gerbh-
“to scratch, carve, or scratch into”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χαρακτήρ (kharaktḗr)
“an engraver, stamping tool, or distinctive mark cut into something”
Late Greek
Greek
χαρακτήριον (kharaktḗrion)
“a distinguishing mark or imprint”
Latin
Latin
character
“a mark, sign, or symbol; later a distinctive trait”
Old French
Old French
caractere
“a symbol, written sign, or emblem”
14th Century
English
caracter
“a written symbol or sign; later a person's distinctive nature”
Modern English
English
character
“a symbol, letter, or the mental and moral qualities of a person”