Etymologically
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carpentum

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [karˈpɛn.tũː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [karˈpɛn.tum][1]

Forms

carpentum n (genitive carpentī); second declension[1]

Etymology

It is apparently a Gaulish word,[2][3][4] probably borrowed from Gaulish carbantos, from Proto-Celtic *karbantos (“chariot, war chariot”).[1] The TLL considers the Gaulish origin likely if the town names Carbantorate (later Carpentoratensis) in Gallia Narbonensis and Carbantium in Britain belong here, and mentions Old Irish carpat and Welsh cerbyd, “chariot”, though it doubts that these are native words.[5] Köbler too compares the Old Irish word and calls the further origin unclear.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLL and Conte cite it first from Livius Andronicus,[5][6] of a carriage for use in the city.[5]

Semantic evolution

It was a two-wheeled, usually covered carriage, used in Rome especially by women,[2][7] as in Livy, Propertius, Ovid and Tacitus.[7][5] It also served as a ceremonial or funeral carriage,[7] and Livy and Florus use it of the baggage wagons and war chariots of Gauls and Britons.[7][3][6] Later writers use it of a farm cart, such as Palladius' dung cart,[7][3] and of the team that draws it.[3]

Medieval writers in Britain use it of carriages and carts, glossed in Old English as a horse-wagon.[8] Old French charpent and French charpente come from it.[1][5]

Timeline

  • 280/260–before 200 BC – Livius Andronicus uses it of a carriage.[5][6][4]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of women's carriages and of Gallic wagons.[7][4]
  • c. 120 AD – Florus uses it of the chariots of Gauls and Britons.[7][4]
  • end of 4th/beginning of 5th century AD – Palladius uses it of a dung cart.[7][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A two-wheeled, covered carriage, used especially by women in Rome.[2][7]
  2. A ceremonial or funeral carriage.[7]
  3. A baggage wagon; a war chariot of the Gauls and Britons.[7][3][6]
  4. (Late Latin) A farm cart; the team drawing it.[7][3]

Word family

  • carpentārius

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e f Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press