cardinal English · revision 15002

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1126|origins=la cardō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /ˈkɑː.dɪ.nəl/, US /ˈkɑːr.dɪ.nəl/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|ang|cardinal]], [[bor|la-med|cardinālis]], short for phrases such as [[m|la-med|episcopus cardinālis|t=chief bishop]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) from [[la-lat|cardinālis|t=principal, chief, pivotal]], in Latin “of a hinge”,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) from [[la|cardō|t=hinge, pivot]], of unknown origin.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021) The adjective came in Middle English through [[fro|cardinal]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A high official of the Roman Church: before 1126, in a chronicle, in Barnhart; the early 12th century in Etymonline.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) The NODE notes that the sense comes from the priests' function as pivots of church life.^(NODE 1998)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The adjective, chief or fundamental, is probably from before 1325,^(Barnhart 1988) and was first applied in English to the four cardinal virtues on which conduct “hinges” (before 1300).^(Hoad 1986)^(OED 1989) The cardinal points are from 1549 and the cardinal numbers from 1591,^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) the numbers on which the ordinals depend.^(Etymonline) The cardinal sins are so called from about 1600.^(Etymonline) The red North American songbird, named for the cardinals' robes, is from the 1670s.^(Etymonline) ''Cardinal vowels'' are from 1922.^(OED 1989) In Banffshire dialect a cardinal was a woman's cloak.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1126 – a cardinal of the Church.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1300 – cardinal virtues.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1549 – cardinal points.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1591 – cardinal numbers.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1670s – the cardinal bird.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1922 – cardinal vowels.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(Roman Catholic Church)'' A member of the Sacred College, ranking next after the pope, who elects the pope and advises him.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A deep, vivid red colour.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A crested North American songbird, the male of which is bright red.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A [[cardinal number]].^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of the greatest importance; chief, fundamental: ''a cardinal rule''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Of a deep, vivid red.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[cardinalship]]

+ * [[cardinally]]

+ * [[cardinalfish]]

+ * [[intercardinal]]

+ * [[cardinalate]]

+ * [[cardinality]]

+ * [[incardinate]]

+ * [[postcardinal]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[cardinal number]]

+ * [[cardinal point]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}