English
cardinal
Cardinal comes from Latin cardinālis ‘pertaining to a hinge, hence applied to that…’, and goes back to cardō.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcardō1
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcardinālis1‘pertaining to a hinge, hence applied to that on which something turns or depends’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600cardinal1
- Englishearliest quotation 1613cardinal1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English cardinal
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1613, William Shakespeare, The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight: “But cardinal sins, and hollow hearts, I fear ye.”.
Earlier history not traced here. See Wiktionary.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcardōWiktionary, English cardinal
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcardinālisWiktionary, English cardinal‘pertaining to a hinge, hence applied to that on which something turns or depends’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600cardinalWiktionary, English cardinal
- Englishearliest quotation 1613cardinalWiktionary, English cardinal. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1613, William Shakespeare, The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight: “But cardinal sins, and hollow hearts, I fear ye.”
Linked words
through Latin cardō
through Latin cardinālis ‘pertaining to a hinge, hence applied to that…’
Today it means
adj Of fundamental importance; crucial, pivotal.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “cardinal”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Latin cardō / cardinal