card English · revision 2631

+ English has two words spelled ''card'': the wire brush for combing wool, from Latin carduus “thistle”, and the piece of stiff paper, from Latin charta “papyrus leaf”.^(AHD 2000)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /kɑːd/, US /kɑːrd/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ {{homograph|1|comb for wool}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1351 (in a surname); 1375|origins=la carduus}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The comb is [[inh|enm|carde]], [[bor|fro|carde|t=card, teasel]],^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002)^(COED 2004) from Old Provençal [[m|pro|carda]], a back-formation from [[m|pro|cardar|t=to card, tease]],^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002)^(Klein 1966) and also through Anglo-Latin cardo,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[la|carduus|t=thistle]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000)^(Klein 1966) related to [[m|la|cārere|t=to card wool]].^(SOED 2002)^(Klein 1966) Barnhart and Etymonline trace these to [[ine-pro|*kars-|t=to scrape]], the root of [[harsh]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) The verb is from the noun, or from Old French carder.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A tool for combing wool or flax: 1375, in a legal document, and earlier in the surname Cardmaker, 1351.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The card was first made of teasel heads set in a frame, for raising the nap on cloth,^(Hoad 1986) and later was a wire brush on a strip of leather.^(OED 1989) The verb, “to comb wool”, is from about 1378^(Barnhart 1988) or the late 14th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1351 – in the surname Cardmaker.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1375 – a carding tool.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1378 – verb, to card wool.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A wire-toothed brush or machine for combing and cleaning fibres such as wool before spinning.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To comb out fibres with a card.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[carder]]

+ * [[carding]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|piece of stiff paper}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1425|origins=grc χάρτης}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The paper card is [[inh|enm|carde]], [[bor|frm|carte]] in an altered form,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000)^(MWU 2024) from [[la|charta|t=leaf of papyrus, paper]],^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) from [[grc|χάρτης|tr=khártēs|t=layer of papyrus]],^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966) probably of Egyptian origin.^(Etymonline)^(Klein 1966) Its form was influenced by Italian [[m|it|carta|t=paper]].^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) The change in English from ''-t'' to ''-d'' is unexplained,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) though Barnhart suggests the influence of the earlier [[card#1]]; in Scots carte was the established form.^(Barnhart 1988) It is related to [[chart]] and [[charter]].^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A playing card: probably before 1425,^(Barnhart 1988) or the early 15th century,^(Etymonline) the first recorded sense in English as in French.^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense was extended to other small flat pieces of stiff paper by the 1590s,^(Etymonline) 1596 in Barnhart.^(Barnhart 1988) A card bearing one's name and address, as a visiting card or business card, is from 1795.^(Etymonline) ''A house of cards'' is from 1641.^(OED 1989) ''Play one's cards well'' is from the mid-18th century, and became ''play one's cards right'' in the 20th century.^(Cresswell 2021) ''Lay one's cards on the table'' is from the mid-19th century, and ''a card up one's sleeve'' from the 19th century.^(Cresswell 2021) The verb meant “to play cards” in the 1540s, now obsolete,^(Etymonline) and “to require someone to show an identity card” from the 1970s.^(Etymonline) ''Card table'' is from 1713 and ''cardboard'' from 1848.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1425 – a playing card.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1548 – verb, to play cards.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1596 – a piece of stiff paper.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1641 – ''house of cards''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1713 – ''card table''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1795 – a visiting card.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1848 – ''cardboard''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1970s – to check identity cards.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # One of a set of small rectangles of stiff paper with marks, used in games; a [[playing card]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # A small piece of stiff paper with information printed on it, such as a [[business card]].^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # A card with a picture and a message: ''a birthday card''.^(AHD)

+ # A small plastic card used for payment or identification: ''a credit card''.^(AHD)

+ # ''(informal)'' An amusing or eccentric person.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To ask someone to show proof of age or identity.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[cardboard]]

+ * [[cardsharp]]

+ * [[postcard]]

+ * [[scorecard]]

+ * [[card table]]

+ * [[credit card]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[chart]]

+ * [[charter]]

+ * [[carte]]

+ * [[cartoon]]

+ * [[carton]]

+ * [[harsh]]

+ * [[chard]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}