carte French · revision 17266

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1393, Ménagier de Paris|origins=grc χάρτης}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /kaʁt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''carte''' ''f'' (plural cartes)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|charta|t=sheet of papyrus, paper; written document]], itself from [[grc|χάρτης|tr=khártēs|t=roll of papyrus]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|2, 627a) The Greek word is of unknown origin; an Egyptian source has often been suggested because of where papyrus came from, but without linguistic support.^(DHLF 1992) The same Latin word gave [[charte]] by another route.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) Littré mentions an alternative based on [[la-med|quarta]], a sheet folded in four, but the standard derivation is from “charta”.^(Littré 1873)^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is the ''Ménagier de Paris'' (1393): ''les autres jouans aux cartes'', playing cards.^(TLFi)^(Littré 1873)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The game produced many figures of speech: ''brouiller les cartes'' (1611), ''château de cartes'' (1690), ''le dessous des cartes'' (1675), ''tirer les cartes'' (1811), ''jouer cartes sur table'' (1832).^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The sense “pasteboard” (15th century) survives in ''carte blanche'' (1549, ''bailler la carte blanche''), a blank paper, hence full freedom of action.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Cards of many uses followed: the bill (1743) and then the menu in a restaurant (1803), whence ''dîner à la carte'' (1813); admission and identity cards (1790, ''carte d'identité'' 1789); ''carte de visite'' (1811); the postcard, ''carte-poste'' (1870) and ''carte postale'' (1877); ''carte perforée'' (1963) and ''carte de crédit'' (1969), a calque of [[en|credit card]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) The geographical map is attested from 1532 (BHVF), earlier than the TLFi's 1635, Mlle de Scudéry's ''Carte du Tendre'' (1654–60) is an allegorical map of love.^(BHVF)^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1393 – Playing cards, ''Ménagier de Paris''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1532 – A map.^(BHVF)

+ * 1549 – ''Carte blanche''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1611 – ''Brouiller les cartes'', Cotgrave.^(TLFi)

+ * 1654–60 – The ''Carte du Tendre''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1803 – A restaurant menu.^(TLFi)

+ * 1811 – ''Carte de visite''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1877 – ''Carte postale''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1969 – ''Carte de crédit''.^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|card]]; a playing card: ''jouer aux cartes'', ''un jeu de cartes''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A card serving as a document: ''carte d'identité'', ''carte bancaire'', ''carte de visite'', ''carte postale''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # A [[m|en|map]], [[m|en|chart]]: ''carte routière'', ''carte marine''.^(Wiktionary)^(Larousse)

+ # A [[m|en|menu]] in a restaurant: ''manger à la carte'', ''carte des vins''.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Carte blanche'': a free hand.^(Le Robert)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # Set phrases: ''jouer cartes sur table'', to be open, ''brouiller les cartes'', to confuse the issue, ''château de cartes'', house of cards.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(computing)'' A circuit board, card: ''carte mère'', ''carte à puce''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[encarter]]

+ * [[écarter]]

+ * [[cartographie]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[charte]]

+ * [[carton]]

+ * [[cartable]]

+ * [[la|charta]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}