Etymograph

English

demicharacter

Demicharacter comes from Old French caractere ‘mark’, from Ancient Greek χαρακτήρ ‘instrument used for engraving’, and perhaps ultimately from χάραξ ‘pointed stake’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχάραξ1khárax‘pointed stake’uncertain
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχαράσσω2kharássō‘to engrave, carve, write, draw, stamp’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχαρακτήρ2kharaktḗr‘instrument used for engraving’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcharactēr2‘characteristic, mark, character, style’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400caractere2‘mark’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500caracter2
  7. English1500–presentcharacter2
  8. Englishearliest quotation 2008demicharacter2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek χαράσσω, which cites Beekes, Pokorny
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English demicharacter
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2008, Alastair Macaulay, Riding the Emotions of a Ratmansky Ballet: “But other passages of “Concerto DSCH” have strong elements…”.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχάραξWiktionary, Ancient Greek χαράσσω, which cites Beekes, Pokornykhárax‘pointed stake’uncertain
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχαράσσωWiktionary, English demicharacterkharássō‘to engrave, carve, write, draw, stamp’
  3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχαρακτήρWiktionary, English demicharacterkharaktḗr‘instrument used for engraving’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcharactērWiktionary, English demicharacter‘characteristic, mark, character, style’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400caractereWiktionary, English demicharacter‘mark’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500caracterWiktionary, English demicharacter
  7. English1500–presentcharacterWiktionary, English demicharacter
  8. Englishearliest quotation 2008demicharacterWiktionary, English demicharacter. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2008, Alastair Macaulay, Riding the Emotions of a Ratmansky Ballet: “But other passages of “Concerto DSCH” have strong elements…”

Linked words

through Ancient Greek χαρακτήρ ‘instrument used for engraving’

characteristic, gash, characterize, 22 more

Today it means

adj Synonym of demi-caractère.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “demicharacter”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Ancient Greek χαράσσω. 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 / Ancient Greek χάραξ / demicharacter

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