Etymograph

English

carnitas

Carnitas comes from Spanish carne ‘meat’, from Proto-Italic *karō ‘piece, portion’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker(H)-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker(H)-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kér(H)ōreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*karō‘piece, portion’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcarnem
  5. Old Spanishc. 950–1500carne‘flesh, meat’
  6. Spanishc. 1500–presentsame form‘meat’
  7. Spanish, derivedc. 1500–presentcarnitasdiminutive of carne
  8. Englishearliest quotation 2006same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker(H)-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kér(H)ōreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*karō‘piece, portion’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcarnem
  5. Old Spanishc. 950–1500carne‘flesh, meat’
  6. Spanishc. 1500–presentsame form‘meat’
  7. Spanish, derivedc. 1500–presentcarnitasdiminutive of carne
  8. Englishearliest quotation 2006same form

Earliest quotation: 2006, Deborah M. Schneider: “Carnitas is easy to make, even if you don't…”

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *karō ‘piece, portion’

card, incarnation, incarnate, carnal, carrion, carnation, 15 more

through Latin carnem

carnage, 1 more

Today it means

noun A Mexican dish of strips or chunks of pork (or sometimes other meat) which are braised or roasted, especially in their own fat.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker(H)- / carnitas

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