English
caricature
Caricature comes from Italian caricatùra ‘caricature, antic’, from Latin carrus ‘a wagon, a two-wheeled baggage cart’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- ‘to run’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱers-‘to run’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱr̥sós‘vehicle, literally runner’reconstructedzero-grade form of *ḱers-
- Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*karros‘wagon’reconstructed
- Gaulishc. 500 BCE–500 CEsame form‘wagon’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcarrus‘a wagon, a two-wheeled baggage cart’
- Italianc. 1300–presentcaricatùra‘caricature, antic’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcaricature
- Englishearliest quotation 1834same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱers-‘to run’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱr̥sós‘vehicle, literally runner’reconstructedzero-grade form of *ḱers-
- Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*karros‘wagon’reconstructed
- Gaulishc. 500 BCE–500 CEsame form‘wagon’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcarrus‘a wagon, a two-wheeled baggage cart’
- Italianc. 1300–presentcaricatùra‘caricature, antic’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcaricature
- Englishearliest quotation 1834same form
Earliest quotation: 1834, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, London: Richard Bentley: “Their faults grew suddenly perceptible, and their absurdities an…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- ‘to run’
course, current, rush, occur, currency, hurry, corridor, curriculum, courier, precursor, incur, concur, cursor, carousel, corsair, hurrah, recursive, courant, recursion, recur, succour, hussar, 41 more
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥sós ‘vehicle, literally runner’
through Gaulish *karros ‘wagon’
through Latin carrus ‘a wagon, a two-wheeled baggage cart’
car, charge, career, carry, cargo, carrier, carriage, chariot, carrack, 12 more
Today it means
noun A pictorial representation of someone in which distinguishing features are exaggerated for comic effect.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- / caricature