carat English · revision 957

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈkæ.ɹət/ ''(UK)''; /ˈkɛɹ.ət/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|frm|carat]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) from [[it|carato]] and [[la-med|carratus]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|ar|قِيرَاط|tr=qīrāṭ|t=carob pod; weight of four grains]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|grc|κεράτιον|tr=kerátion|t=carob seed; a small weight]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) literally “little horn”, a diminutive of ''kéras'' “horn”.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A measure of the fineness of gold (1469 in Barnhart; late 15th century in Etymonline).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Carob seeds were a standard for weighing small quantities in the ancient world.^(Etymonline) The Greek weight was equal to the Roman ''siliqua'', one twenty-fourth of a gold ''solidus'' of Constantine, so the carat came to express a proportion of one twenty-fourth, especially in stating the purity of gold: 18-carat gold is eighteen parts gold to six of alloy.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) As a unit of weight for diamonds and other gems it dates from 1555–75,^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989) and the metric carat is now 200 milligrams.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) In the United States the gold measure is usually spelled ''[[karat]]''.^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1469 – a measure of the fineness of gold (Barnhart).^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1555 – a unit of weight for gems (Barnhart, Merriam-Webster).^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1575 – the weight of gems (OED).^(OED 1989)

+ * 1601 – the carob seed (obsolete).^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A unit of weight for precious stones and pearls, equal to 200 [[milligram|alt=milligrams]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A variant spelling of [[karat]], a measure of the purity of gold in twenty-fourths.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[karat]]

+ * [[carob]]

+ * [[horn]]

+ * [[keratin]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}