Identity
/aɪˈdɛntɪti/noun
The fact of being who or what a person or thing is.
Did you know?The Latin root 'idem', meaning 'the same', hints at ancient beliefs in the power of self and continuity in the cosmos, echoing ideas of reincarnation and eternal essence.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*i-
“a marker of identity or existence.”
Latin
Latin
idem
“the same.”
Late Latin
Late Latin
identitas
“sameness, oneness.”
Old French
Old French
identité
“identity, state of being the same.”
Middle English
Middle English
identite
“the quality of being identical.”
Modern English
English
identity
“the condition of being oneself or itself.”