carousel

Where does the word "carousel" come from? It comes from Italian carosello, passing through French before entering English (1650s).

Carousel’s story begins in Italian: carosello meant “horsemen's tournament.” A cavalry tournament, perhaps from a Neapolitan word for a clay ball used in the game. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in French as carrousel. Louis XIV's Carrousel of 1662 gave Paris its Place du Carrousel. It reached English by 1650s as carousel. The merry-go-round sense began as the wooden horses used in training knights; airport baggage carousels date from the 1960s. Today, carousel means a merry-go-round; a rotating conveyor, as for luggage.

1. Stage 1 · Italian · 1500s carosello "horsemen's tournament", a cavalry tournament, perhaps from a Neapolitan word for a clay ball used in the game.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1600s carrousel "equestrian pageant", Louis XIV's Carrousel of 1662 gave Paris its Place du Carrousel.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1650s carousel "merry-go-round", the merry-go-round sense began as the wooden horses used in training knights; airport baggage carousels date from the 1960s.