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Where does the word "cartoon" come from? It comes from Italian cartone, and was adopted directly into English (1600s-1800s).
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Where does the word "cartoon" come from? It comes from Italian cartone, and was adopted directly into English (1600s-1800s).
Cartoon’s story begins in Italian: cartone meant “heavy paper, a preparatory sketch.” Meaning "heavy paper" or "pasteboard", used for preparatory sketches. It reached English by 1600s-1800s as cartoon. Adopted for a preliminary artistic sketch, later a humorous drawing. Today, cartoon means a simple, often humorous drawing, or an animated film.
- Stage 1 · Italian · medieval cartone "heavy paper, a preparatory sketch", meaning "heavy paper" or "pasteboard", used for preparatory sketches.
- Stage 2 · English · 1600s-1800s cartoon "a humorous drawing or animated film", adopted for a preliminary artistic sketch, later a humorous drawing.