car
/kɑːr/
noun
Origin
Latin
carrus — wheeled vehicle, wagon
Overview
Meaning Now
- A road vehicle, typically with four wheels, powered by an internal combustion engine or electric motor, and able to carry a small number of people.
- A railway carriage or similar vehicle designed to move on rails.
Literal older meaning
wheeled vehicle
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Celtic → Latin → Old North French → English
Earliest form
carre
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term originated from the Latin 'carrus', which was a loanword from Gaulish. It initially referred to carts or wagons drawn by animals. With the invention of internal combustion engines in the late 19th century, the word shifted from describing horse-drawn carriages to the modern automobile.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*krs-o-
“running vehicle”
- Latin
carrus
“four-wheeled wagon”
Borrowed from Gaulish (Celtic).
- Old North French
carre
“cart, chariot”
- Middle English
carre
“wheeled vehicle”
- Modern English
car
“automobile”
Semantic narrowing from any wheeled vehicle to motorized passenger vehicle.
Connections
Word parts
car
root
wheeled vehicle
Related across languages
Old Irish
carr
cart
French
char
chariot
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Related to car
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.