Where does “carpetbagger” come from?
carpetbagger (English) comes from English carpetbag, from English carpet, from Middle English carpette, from Old French carpite, from Medieval Latin carpita, from Latin carpere, from Latin carpo, from Proto-Italic karpō — dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth.
carpetbagger (English): An immigrant from the Northern to the Southern...
Definitions
- An immigrant from the Northern to the Southern...
Ancestry of “carpetbagger”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | carpetbag | A traveling bag made from scraps of carpet and... |
| 2 | English | carpet | A fabric used as a complete floor covering; Any... |
| 3 | Middle English | carpette | A fabric cover for beds or furniture; a tablecloth or throw |
| 4 | Old French | carpite | — |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | carpita | — |
| 6 | Latin | carpere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 7 | Latin | carpo | I pluck, pick, harvest; I tear off, tear out,... |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | karpō | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kerp- | to pluck, harvest |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱer- | dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth |