passport etimology

The term "passport" comes from the French word "passeport," which means "authorization to pass through a port" to enter or leave a country. The original meaning of the word is obsolete, and the current meaning of "document issued by competent civil authority granting permission to the person named in it to travel in or out of a country or authenticating his right to protection while abroad" dates back to the 1540s. The granting of traveling papers became the business of the Privy Council in 1540, and by this point, the term "passport" was being used. The first modern British passport, which consisted of a single page, folded into eight and held together with a cardboard cover, was introduced in the early 20th century. Today's passports are high-tech documents with microchips, holograms, biometric photos, and barcodes.