charter
UK[ˈtʃɑːtə]US[ˈtʃɑːrtər]
n
A written grant by a country's legislative or sovereign power, by which a body such as a city, company, or university is founded and its rights and privileges defined.
n
The hiring of an aircraft, ship, or motor vehicle for a special purpose.
v
To hire an aircraft, ship, or motor vehicle for a special purpose.
adj
(of a flight or vehicle) hired for a special purpose.
Morpheme Breakdown
chart
er
chart
paper
er
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'charter' originates from the Latin chartula, a diminutive of charta, meaning 'paper' or 'papyrus leaf', which itself was borrowed from the Greek khartēs. This Greek term originally referred to a sheet of papyrus, a material central to ancient record-keeping. The semantic journey moved from the physical material to the official document written upon it, specifically a formal written grant or contract. The suffix '-er' solidified its status as a noun for such a document, and its meaning later expanded to include the act of hiring or leasing, as formalized by a contract.
Analysis
Structure: chart (paper) + er (noun suffix)
- chart: From Latin charta (paper, leaf of paper), from Greek khartēs (layer of papyrus). Functions as the core root denoting a written document.
- er: A common English noun-forming suffix, often indicating an agent or instrument. In this word, it forms a noun from the root.
Examples
The university received its royal charter in the 15th century.
They booked a charter flight for their group vacation.
The organization decided to charter a bus for the conference attendees.