Etymology Map
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Carpet

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a thick woven floor covering

Where does the word "carpet" come from? It comes from Latin carpere, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
carpere
Latin · ancient
"to pluck, card wool"
plucked or unravelled wool
2
Stage 2 of 3
carpite
Old French · medieval
"coarse cloth"
via Old Italian 'carpita', a thick woollen cloth
3
Stage 3 of 3
carpet
English · 1300s
"a table or bed cover"
only in the 1700s did carpets move to the floor
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Read the full story

Carpet’s story begins in Latin: carpere meant “to pluck, card wool.” Plucked or unravelled wool. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as carpite. Via Old Italian 'carpita', a thick woollen cloth. It reached English by 1300s as carpet. Only in the 1700s did carpets move to the floor. Today, carpet means a thick woven floor covering.