carpet English · revision 6981

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1345|origins=la carpo}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈkɑː.pɪt/ ''(UK)''; /ˈkɑɹ.pət/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English carpete, [[bor|fro|carpite|t=heavy decorated cloth]] and Medieval Latin carpita,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from Old Italian carpita, a thick woollen cloth or counterpane, originally made of shreds,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998) from Vulgar Latin *carpīre, for Latin [[m|la|carpo|alt=carpere|t=to pluck, card wool]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from PIE [[ine-pro|*kerp-|t=to gather, pluck, harvest]] (see [[harvest]]).^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A thick fabric used to cover tables or beds: 1345.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) Etymonline has carpet, coarse cloth, from the late 13th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A floor covering is from the 15th century (1438–60 in the OED), and since the 18th century it has been the main sense.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) Word Origins and Trench explain that ''on the carpet'', under discussion, referred to the cloth of the council table (1726);^(Cresswell 2021)^(Trench 1859)^(OED 1989) it later came to mean being reprimanded, from servants ''walking the carpet'' before their master (1823).^(OED 1989)^(Cresswell 2021) By association with ladies' rooms it gave ''carpet-knight'', a soldier who has never seen service (1570s).^(Etymonline) The verb, to cover with a carpet, is from the 1620s, and to reprimand from 1823.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1345 – a table or bed covering.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1438 – a floor covering.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1570s – carpet-knight.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1620s – the verb.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1726 – on the carpet, under discussion.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1823 – to reprimand.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A thick woven or felted floor covering, usually of [[wool]] or synthetic fibre.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A thick layer covering a surface: ''a carpet of leaves''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To cover with a carpet or similar layer.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(British, informal)'' To reprimand.^(Collins 2023)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[carpetless]]

+ * [[carpetlike]]

+ * [[carpetbag]]

+ * [[carpet-bomb]]

+ * [[carpeting]]

+ * [[red-carpet]]

+ * [[recarpet]]

+ * [[Brussels carpet]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[harvest]]

+ * [[excerpt]]

+ * [[carpetbagger]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}