identity English · revision 4146

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1545|origins=la idem}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /aɪˈden.tə.ti/, US /aɪˈden.t̬ə.t̬i/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|frm|identité]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) 14th century,^(Etymonline) from [[la-lat|identitās|t=sameness]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) formed irregularly from [[la|idem|t=the same]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from id “it”,^(AHD 2000) probably on the model of [[la-lat|essentitās]] or entitās “being”,^(AHD 2000)^(SOED 2002) and perhaps associated with Latin [[m|la|identidem|t=repeatedly]], from idem et idem.^(MW Collegiate)^(SOED 2002)^(Barnhart 1988) Klein and Barnhart take the Late Latin word as a translation of Greek [[grc|ταὐτότης|tr=tautótēs|t=sameness]].^(Klein 1966)^(Barnhart 1988) It replaced the earlier English idemptitie (1560s, 1570), from Medieval Latin idemptitās.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) It is related to [[identical]] and [[identify]].^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ “Sameness, oneness”, the quality of being the same in substance or nature: 1545 in Merriam-Webster,^(MWU 2024) 1570 in the OED,^(OED 1989) 1603 in Barnhart^(Barnhart 1988) and about 1600 in Etymonline.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sameness of a person or thing at all times and in all circumstances, the fact of being oneself and no other, is from 1638.^(OED 1989) ''Mistaken identity'', an error as to who a person is, appears in the Shorter Oxford's examples of the first sense.^(SOED 2002) In mathematics an identity is an equation true for all values, from 1859.^(OED 1989) The set of characteristics by which a person is recognized as a member of a group gave ''identity crisis'', recorded by 1954,^(Etymonline) ''identity politics'', attested by 1985 and brought to attention by the 1977 Combahee River Collective Statement,^(Etymonline) and ''identity theft'', from 1995.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1545 – sameness.^(MWU 2024)

+ * 1638 – the sameness of a person; individuality.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1859 – in mathematics.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1954 – ''identity crisis''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1985 – ''identity politics''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1995 – ''identity theft''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The set of characteristics by which a person or thing is known or recognized; [[individuality]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # The characteristics by which a person is recognized as a member of a group: ''national identity''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # The fact of being who or what one is said to be: ''proof of identity''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # The quality of being the same as something else; [[sameness]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # In mathematics, an equation that is true for all values of its variables.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[nonidentity]]

+ * [[self-identity]]

+ * [[dissociative identity disorder]]

+ * [[identity card]]

+ * [[identity crisis]]

+ * [[identity matrix]]

+ * [[identity politics]]

+ * [[identity theft]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[identic]]

+ * [[identical]]

+ * [[identification]]

+ * [[identify]]

+ * [[idem]]

+ * [[entity]]

+ * [[ID]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}