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Origin and history of identification

identification(n.)

1640s, "treating of a thing as the same as another; act of making or proving to be the same," from French identification, probably from identifier (see identify). Psychological sense of "becoming or feeling oneself one with another" is from 1857. Meaning "act or process of determining the identity of something" is from 1859. Meaning "object or document which marks identity" is from 1947 (short for identification tag, card, etc.).

also from 1640s

Entries linking to identification

identify(v.)

1640s, "regard as the same," from French identifier, from identité (see identity). Sense of "determine the identity of, recognize as or prove to be the same" first recorded 1769. Meaning "make one (with), associate (oneself), regard oneself as being the essence of" is from 1780. Sense of "serve as means of identification" is attested by 1886. Related: Identified; identifying.

I.D.

also ID (but pronounced as separate letters), short for identification, attested from 1955.

misidentification(n.)

"erroneous identification," 1858, from mis- (1) + identification.

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    recognition
    mid-15c., recognicion, "knowledge (of an event or incident); understanding," from Old French recognition (15c.) and directly from Latin recognitionem (nominative recognitio) "a reviewing, investigation, examination," noun of action from past-participle stem of recognoscere "to ac
    designation
    late 14c., designacioun, "notation, representation, action of pointing or marking out," from Old French designacion or directly from Latin designationem (nominative designatio) "a marking out, specification," noun of action from past participle stem of designare "mark out, devise
    Tocharian
    The identification of this culture with the people named by Strabo was suggested in 1907 by F.W.K....
    misnomer
    mid-15c., in law, "an error in a name, mistaken identification of an accused or convicted person," from Anglo-French, Old...
    methylene
    "The breakdown of methylene into methyl and -ene, and the identification of the last syllable of methyl with the general...
    Charles's Wain
    The identification with a wagon is easy to see, with four stars as the body and three as the pole....The identification with a bear is more difficult, as the figure has a tail longer than its body....But he suggests the identification "may have arisen from Aristotle's idea that its prototype was the only creature that dared...See also arctic for the identification of the bear and the north in classical times....
    zinfandel
    Modern vine identification systems did not yet exist in 1829, so it is conceivable that the cuttings George Gibbs imported...
    determination
    mid-14c., determinacioun, "decision, sentence in a suit at law, definite or authoritative judicial settlement," from Old French déterminacion "determination, settlement, definition" (14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin determinationem (nominative determinatio) "conclusion, bou
    status
    1670s, "height" of a situation or condition, later "legal standing of a person" (1791), from Latin status "condition, position, state, manner, attitude," from past-participle stem of stare "to stand" (from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm"). In law, the meaning "legal st
    evidence
    c. 1300, "appearance from which inferences may be drawn," from Old French evidence, from Late Latin evidentia "proof," in classical Latin "distinction, vivid presentation, clearness" in rhetoric, from stem of Latin evidens "obvious, apparent" (see evident). Meaning "ground for be

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