ḱred-dʰeh₁-
“to place trust, to believe”believe/credit
PIE root meaning to place trust or to believe. Source of Latin crēdere, English "creed," "credit," and words for faith.
Discussion
*ḱred-dʰeh₁- is a Proto-Indo-European compound root meaning "to place one's heart" (i.e., "to trust" or "to believe"), combining *ḱred- "heart" with *dʰeh₁- "to place."
Latin crēdere "to believe, to trust" is the primary reflex, yielding English creed, credit, credible, incredible, credential, and miscreant. The compound literally meant "to place one's heart (in something)"—belief as an act of emotional commitment. Old Irish cretim "I believe" confirms the Celtic attestation.
Sanskrit śrad-dhā- "faith, trust" (śrad- from *ḱred- + dhā- from *dʰeh₁-) preserves the compound structure transparently, with the palatal *ḱ yielding Sanskrit ś regularly. The Vedic concept of śraddhā as ritual faith parallels the Latin religious use of crēdō.
The palatovelar *ḱ is confirmed by the Sanskrit sibilant versus the Latin velar c (centum/satem split). This root is a textbook example of a PIE compound verb where both elements are independently reconstructable.
Modern descendants include English creed, credit, credible, credential, incredible, accredit, discredit, and miscreant (via Old French mescreant, "misbeliever").
Notes
Source of Latin "crēdere" (to believe), English "creed". Compound: heart + place.