patent(n.)
14世纪晚期,“来自某个权威机构的公开信或官方文件,授予做某事的许可证; 缩写自盎格鲁-法语 lettre patent(中世纪拉丁语 litteræ patentes),字面意思是“公开信”(13世纪晚期),来自古法语 patente “公开”,源自拉丁语 patentem(主格 patens)“开放的,敞开的”,现在分词形式 patere “敞开,开放”(源自 PIE 词根 *pete- “展开”)。
The Letters Patent were ... written upon open sheets of parchment, with the Great Seal pendent at the bottom ... [while] the 'Litteræ Clausæ,' or Letters Close, ... being of a more private nature, and addressed to one or two individuals only, were closed or folded up and sealed on the outside. [S.R. Scargill-Bird, "A Guide to the Principal Classes of Documents at the Public Record Office," 1891]
专利信是……用羊皮纸写成的公开信,底部悬挂着大印章……而“Litteræ Clausæ”或密封信,……性质更为私密,只寄给一两个人,被折叠或折叠起来,外面盖上印章。[S.R. Scargill-Bird,“公共记录办公室主要文件类别指南”,1891]
“政府授予新的有用发明的许可证,授予独家利用该发明的专有权利,有效期限为指定年限”的含义始于1580年代。
该词起源时间:14世纪末