The term “incarnation” dates back to the 1297 Chronicle of Robert of Gloucester, where it was spelled as “incarnacion”. Over the years, variations such as “incarnacioun”, “incarnacione”, and “incarnacyon” were used before “incarnation” became the standardized form by the late sixteenth century. Originating from Old French “incarnacion”, the term originally referred to the Incarnation of Jesus and has since evolved to encompass broader meanings. Its roots can be traced back to Latin “incarnare”, which means “to make into flesh”, akin to the concept of “in the flesh”. The prefix “in-” denotes “in”, while the root “caro” signifies “flesh”, ultimately stemming from the Proto-Indo-European reconstruction “ker”, which interestingly relates to “army”.
