Where does “carbine” come from?
Carbine comes from French carabine, from Latin scarabaeus, from Ancient Greek κάραβος, a word for a beetle or crustacean.
carbine (English): A rifle with a short barrel
Definitions
- A rifle with a short barrel
Ancestry of “carbine”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | carabinier | carabineer |
| 2 | Italian | carabiniere | carabiniere; martinet, dragon; carabinier |
| 3 | Italian | carabina | carbine, rifle |
| 4 | French | carabine | rifle; mistress of a cavalry soldier |
| 5 | French | carabin | carabineer; medical student |
| 6 | French | escarrabin | grave digger |
| 7 | Middle French | scarabée | beetle |
| 8 | Latin | scarabaeus | A scarab, black dung beetle, revered in Ancient... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | κάραβος | a kind of beetle, probably a longhorn beetle; a... |