English
cartridge
Cartridge comes from Italian cartoccio ‘roll of paper’, from Ancient Greek χᾰρᾰ́σσω ‘to scratch’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰer-‘to scratch’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχᾰρᾰ́σσωkhărắssō‘to scratch’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEχάρτης‘paper’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500chartaas carta‘paper’
- Italianc. 1300–presentcartoccio‘roll of paper’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcartouche
- Englishearliest quotation 1907cartridge
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰer-‘to scratch’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEχᾰρᾰ́σσωkhărắssō‘to scratch’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEχάρτης‘paper’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500chartaas carta‘paper’
- Italianc. 1300–presentcartoccio‘roll of paper’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcartouche
- Englishearliest quotation 1907cartridge
Earliest quotation: 1907, Harold Bindloss, Toronto: “Still, a dozen men with rifles, and cartridges to…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- ‘to scratch’
girl, rocket, chronic, chorus, synchronous, urchin, crony, synchronize, cron, germanium, 32 more
through Ancient Greek χάρτης ‘paper’
through Medieval Latin charta ‘paper’
card, chart, cartel, carton, carte, cartography, 10 more
through French cartouche
Today it means
noun The package consisting of the bullet, primer, and casing containing gunpowder; a round of ammunition.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- / cartridge