Charact

/ˈkærəkt/ noun

Definition

An archaic or obsolete term referring to a character, mark, or distinctive feature; a symbol or impression.

Etymology

From Latin 'character' via Greek 'charakter' meaning a mark made by burning or engraving, from 'charassein' to scratch or sharpen, the same root as characin's Greek 'charax'.

Kelly Says

This old word is the ancestor of our modern 'character'—a letter, a person's nature, or a symbol. It's fascinating that the same Greek root word for scratching gave us both pointed fish teeth and the concept of marking characters.

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