- carp (n.)
- "fish," 1393, from O.Fr. carpe, from V.L. carpa (c.575), possibly from Gothic *karpa. A Danube fish (hence the E.Gmc. origin of its name), introduced in Eng. ponds 14c.
- carp (v.)
- "complain," c.1240, from O.N. karpa "to brag," of unknown origin; meaning turned toward "find fault," probably by infl. of L. carpere "to slander, revile," lit. "to pluck" (see harvest).