carriage | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

81 entries found.

late 14c., "act of carrying, means of conveyance; wheeled vehicles collectively," from Anglo-French and Old North French cariage "cart, carriage, action of transporting in a vehicle" (Old French charriage, Modern French charriage), from carier "to carry," from Late Latin carricare, from Latin carrus "two-wheeled wagon" (see car).

Meaning "individual wheeled vehicle" is c. 1400; specific sense of "horse-drawn, wheeled vehicle for hauling people" first attested 1706; extended to railway cars by 1830. Meaning "the business of transportation" is from 1520s. Meaning "way of carrying one's body" is 1590s, hence also "behavior, conduct, manners." Sense of "a part of a machinery which carries another part" is from 1680s. Carriage-house attested from 1761.

undercarriage (n.)

1794, from under + carriage (n.). Meaning "landing gear of an aircraft" is recorded from 1911.

*kers-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to run."

It forms all or part of: car; career; cargo; caricature; cark; carpenter; carriage; carrier; carry; charabanc; charette; charge; chariot; concourse; concur; concurrent; corral; corridor; corsair; courant; courier; course; currency; current; curriculum; cursive; cursor; cursory; discharge; discourse; encharge; excursion; hussar; incur; intercourse; kraal; miscarry; occur; precursor; recourse; recur; succor.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek -khouros "running;" Latin currere "to run, move quickly;" Lithuanian karšiu, karšti "go quickly;"Old Irish and Middle Welsh carr "cart, wagon," Breton karr "chariot," Welsh carrog "torrent;" Old Norse horskr "swift."

foot-board (n.)

"a support for the foot" in a carriage, vehicle, workplace, etc., 1766, from foot (n.) + board (n.1).

sulky (n.)

"light carriage with two wheels," 1756, apparently a noun use of sulky (adj.), on notion of "standoffishness," because the carriage has room for only one person and obliges the rider to be alone.

motorcar (n.)

also motor-car, "horseless carriage, wheeled vehicle which carries its own propelling mechanism," 1895 from motor (n.) + car.

portly (adj.)

late 15c., portli, "stately, dignified, of noble appearance and carriage," from port (n.3) "bearing, carriage" + -ly (1). Meaning "stout, somewhat large and unwieldy in person" is attested by 1590s.

transport (n.)

mid-15c., originally "mental exaltation;" sense of "means of transportation, carriage, conveyance" is recorded from 1690s; from transport (v.).

post-chaise (n.)

"travelling carriage drawn by horses in posts," 1712, from post (n.3) "communication from one place to another by relays" + chaise.

tricycle (n.)

1828, "three-wheeled horse-drawn carriage," from French tricycle (1827); see tri- + cycle (n.). The pedal-powered version is first attested 1868.

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