Etymologically
Log in

carrico

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Latin word carrico

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Lex Salica
Ultimate origin
Latin carrus
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin carrus
Latin carrico
French charger
From the same root
English caricature ← carrico

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈkar.rɪ.koː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈkar.ri.ko][1]

Forms

carricō (present infinitive carricāre, perfect active carricāvī, supine carricātum); first conjugation[1] Medieval spellings include carcō, cargō and caricō.[2][1]

Etymology

It is from Latin carrus (“wagon, cart”) + -icō.[1][3][4] The Romance verbs Italian caricare, French charger and Spanish cargar continue it.[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wiktionary notes that it is first attested in the Lex Salica,[1] where it means to load something onto a cart: si vinum in carro carcaverit “if he has loaded wine onto a cart”.[3][2]

Semantic evolution

From loading a cart it came to mean loading in general, and also carrying or hauling a load: the Visigothic laws speak of a beast of burden dying while carrying bundles, and of yoking another man's ox to haul something.[3][2] The glossaries give its participle as an equivalent of oneratus “loaded”.[3] Medieval writers used it for carting earth and stones, for having wine brought in casks, and, without an object, for riding in a cart.[2] In Hungarian sources it also means “covered, filled”, as of a girdle covered with lice or a face covered with tears.[5]

Through Old French chargier it gave English charge, and through Spanish cargar English cargo.[6]

Timeline

  • 6th century – The Frankish Lex Salica uses it of loading wine onto a cart.[6][3][2]
  • 7th century – The Visigothic laws use it of hauling loads.[7][3]
  • early 13th century – English charge is borrowed from Old French, which got it from this verb.[6]
  • 1650s – English cargo is borrowed from Spanish, also from this verb.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (Late Latin) To load onto a cart or wagon.[1][2][4]
  2. (Late Latin) To carry or haul a load.[3][2]
  3. (Medieval Latin) To load, burden; to cover or fill.[2][5]
  4. (Medieval Latin, intransitive) To ride in a cart.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
  6. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de

Descendants

Cite this entry

“Carrico.” Etymologically, 23 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/carrico. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·