A mark, symbol, or brand engraved on the body.
The earliest recorded evidence of the word 'character' in English appears around 1350 in the writings of the poet William of Shoreham, borrowed from Old French as 'carecter'. William wrote as follows: "Caracter, þet is prente ycliped, Nys non of eliinge." In this context, 'character' specifically meant an indelible spiritual mark or brand imprinted permanently on the soul through Catholic sacraments such as baptism. As we can see, in this era, the word “character” was initially used to refer to a mark or symbol engraved on the body. As time went by, meanings in slightly different contexts began to be added. In the mid 15th to late 15th century, the meaning 'a Symbol or a design used in magic or sorcery' was added, influenced by medieval alchemy and astrology. This meaning later expanded to include alphabets, symbols, and letters that represent phonemes or syllables. In the 16th century, it was also used to refer to handwriting, calligraphy, and printed typefaces.