'Credential' traces to PIE *kred-dheh- (to place one's heart) — proof that trust is warranted.
A qualification, achievement, quality, or aspect of a person's background that serves to indicate their suitability for something; a document or certificate proving a person's identity or qualifications.
From Medieval Latin 'credentiālis' (giving authority, pertaining to belief), from Latin 'crēdentia' (trust, belief), from 'crēdere' (to believe, to trust), from PIE *ḱred-dʰeh₁- ('to place one's heart'), a compound of *ḱerd- ('heart') + *dʰeh₁- ('to place, to put'). The PIE etymology is remarkable: to believe originally meant 'to put one's heart into something.' This compound survives intact in Latin 'crēdō' (I believe, I trust), Sanskrit 'śrad-dhā' (faith), and
The word 'credenza' — a type of sideboard or buffet table — is related. In medieval Italian courts, a 'credenza' was a side table where food and drink were placed for tasting before being served to the lord — the tasting was a test of trust (credence), verifying that the food was not poisoned. The furniture that held the trust-tested food kept the name