*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of cart

Etymology tree Old Norse kartrbor. Proto-Germanic *kradô Proto-West Germanic *krat Old English crætder. Middle English cart English cart From Middle English cart, kart, from Old Norse kartr (“wagon; cart”), merged with n

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To carry or convey in a cart. · To carry goods. · To remove, especially involuntarily or for disposal. · To expose in a cart by way of punishment.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Old Norse kartrbor. Proto-Germanic *kradô Proto-West Germanic *krat Old English crætder. Middle English cart English cart From Middle English cart, kart, from Old Norse kartr (“wagon; cart”), merged with native Old English cræt (“a chariot; cart”), from Proto-Germanic *krattaz, *krattijô, *kradō, from Proto-Indo-European *gret- (“tracery; wattle; cradle; cage; basket”), from *ger- (“to turn, wind”). Cognate with West Frisian kret (“wheelbarrow for hauling dung”), Dutch krat, kret (“crate; wheelbarrow for hauling dung”), German Krätze (“basket; pannier”). Wider cognates include Sanskrit ग्रन्थ (grantha, “a binding”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentioncartenm
  • Derivation mentionkartrnon · wagon; cart
  • Cognate mentioncrætang · a chariot; cart
  • Derivation mention*krattazgem-pro
  • Derivation mention*gret-ine-pro · tracery; wattle; cradle; cage; basket
  • Cognate mentionkretfy · wheelbarrow for hauling dung
  • Cognate mentionkratnl
  • Cognate mentionKrätzede · basket; pannier
  • Cognate mentionग्रन्थsa · a binding
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:cart<ety:bor<non:kartr>:der<ang:cræt>>",
        "id": "vehicle",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nOld Norse kartrbor.\nProto-Germanic *kradô\nProto-West Germanic *krat\nOld English crætder.\nMiddle English cart\nEnglish cart\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old Norse\", \"term\" : \"kartr\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"non\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" }, { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*kradô\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*krat\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"cræt\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"cart\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"cart\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"vehicle\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"cart\" id=\"English:_vehicle\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "cart"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English cart"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "kartr",
        "t": "wagon; cart"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse kartr (“wagon; cart”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "cræt",
        "t": "a chariot; cart"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English cræt (“a chariot; cart”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*krattaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *krattaz"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*gret-",
        "t": "tracery; wattle; cradle; cage; basket"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *gret- (“tracery; wattle; cradle; cage; basket”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "kret",
        "t": "wheelbarrow for hauling dung"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian kret (“wheelbarrow for hauling dung”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "krat"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch krat"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Krätze",
        "t": "basket; pannier"
      },
      "expansion": "German Krätze (“basket; pannier”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sa",
        "2": "ग्रन्थ",
        "t": "a binding"
      },
      "expansion": "Sanskrit ग्रन्थ (grantha, “a binding”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:cart<ety:bor<non:kartr>:der<ang:cræt>>",
        "id": "vehicle",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nOld Norse kartrbor.\nProto-Germanic *kradô\nProto-West Germanic *krat\nOld English crætder.\nMiddle English cart\nEnglish cart"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "kartr",
      "kartr#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "*kradô",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/kradô"
    ],
    [
      "*krat",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/krat"
    ],
    [
      "cræt",
      "cræt#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "cart",
      "cart#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "cart",
      "cart#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "kart",
      "kart#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "kartr",
      "kartr#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "cræt",
      "cræt#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*krattaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/krattaz"
    ],
    [
      "*krattijô",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/krattijô"
    ],
    [
      "*kradō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/kradō"
    ],
    [
      "*gret-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/gret-"
    ],
    [
      "*ger-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ger-"
    ],
    [
      "kret",
      "kret#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "krat",
      "krat#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "kret",
      "kret#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Krätze",
      "Krätze#German"
    ],
    [
      "ग्रन्थ",
      "ग्रन्थ#Sanskrit"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To carry or convey in a cart.",
        "To carry goods.",
        "To remove, especially involuntarily or for disposal.",
        "To expose in a cart by way of punishment."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "informal",
        "obsolete"
      ],
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}

Source etymology 1 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

A small, open, wheeled vehicle, drawn or pushed by a person or animal, often with two wheels on one axle, more often used for transporting goods than passengers. · A small motor vehicle resembling a car; a go-cart. · A shopping cart.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Old Norse kartrbor. Proto-Germanic *kradô Proto-West Germanic *krat Old English crætder. Middle English cart English cart From Middle English cart, kart, from Old Norse kartr (“wagon; cart”), merged with native Old English cræt (“a chariot; cart”), from Proto-Germanic *krattaz, *krattijô, *kradō, from Proto-Indo-European *gret- (“tracery; wattle; cradle; cage; basket”), from *ger- (“to turn, wind”). Cognate with West Frisian kret (“wheelbarrow for hauling dung”), Dutch krat, kret (“crate; wheelbarrow for hauling dung”), German Krätze (“basket; pannier”). Wider cognates include Sanskrit ग्रन्थ (grantha, “a binding”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentioncartenm
  • Derivation mentionkartrnon · wagon; cart
  • Cognate mentioncrætang · a chariot; cart
  • Derivation mention*krattazgem-pro
  • Derivation mention*gret-ine-pro · tracery; wattle; cradle; cage; basket
  • Cognate mentionkretfy · wheelbarrow for hauling dung
  • Cognate mentionkratnl
  • Cognate mentionKrätzede · basket; pannier
  • Cognate mentionग्रन्थsa · a binding
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:cart<ety:bor<non:kartr>:der<ang:cræt>>",
        "id": "vehicle",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nOld Norse kartrbor.\nProto-Germanic *kradô\nProto-West Germanic *krat\nOld English crætder.\nMiddle English cart\nEnglish cart\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old Norse\", \"term\" : \"kartr\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"non\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" }, { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*kradô\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*krat\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"cræt\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"cart\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"cart\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"vehicle\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"cart\" id=\"English:_vehicle\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "cart"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English cart"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "kartr",
        "t": "wagon; cart"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse kartr (“wagon; cart”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "cræt",
        "t": "a chariot; cart"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English cræt (“a chariot; cart”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*krattaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *krattaz"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*gret-",
        "t": "tracery; wattle; cradle; cage; basket"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *gret- (“tracery; wattle; cradle; cage; basket”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "kret",
        "t": "wheelbarrow for hauling dung"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian kret (“wheelbarrow for hauling dung”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "krat"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch krat"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Krätze",
        "t": "basket; pannier"
      },
      "expansion": "German Krätze (“basket; pannier”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sa",
        "2": "ग्रन्थ",
        "t": "a binding"
      },
      "expansion": "Sanskrit ग्रन्थ (grantha, “a binding”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:cart<ety:bor<non:kartr>:der<ang:cræt>>",
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        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nOld Norse kartrbor.\nProto-Germanic *kradô\nProto-West Germanic *krat\nOld English crætder.\nMiddle English cart\nEnglish cart"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "kartr",
      "kartr#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "*kradô",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/kradô"
    ],
    [
      "*krat",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/krat"
    ],
    [
      "cræt",
      "cræt#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "cart",
      "cart#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "cart",
      "cart#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "kart",
      "kart#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "kartr",
      "kartr#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "cræt",
      "cræt#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*krattaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/krattaz"
    ],
    [
      "*krattijô",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/krattijô"
    ],
    [
      "*kradō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/kradō"
    ],
    [
      "*gret-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/gret-"
    ],
    [
      "*ger-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ger-"
    ],
    [
      "kret",
      "kret#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "krat",
      "krat#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "kret",
      "kret#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Krätze",
      "Krätze#German"
    ],
    [
      "ग्रन्थ",
      "ग्रन्थ#Sanskrit"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "lang_code": "ja",
      "word": "カート",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "kāto"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Korean",
      "lang_code": "ko",
      "word": "카트",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "kateu"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Ulithian",
      "lang_code": "uli",
      "word": "kart",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
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        "A small, open, wheeled vehicle, drawn or pushed by a person or animal, often with two wheels on one axle, more often used for transporting goods than passengers.",
        "A small motor vehicle resembling a car; a go-cart.",
        "A shopping cart."
      ],
      "tags": [
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A tape cartridge used for pre-recorded material such as jingles and advertisements. · A cartridge for a computer or video game system. · A cartridge containing cannabis oil or another drug for use in vape pens; a detachable clearomizer, usually threaded and prefilled.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of cartridge.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clip",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cartridge"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of cartridge"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "cartridge",
      "cartridge#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A tape cartridge used for pre-recorded material such as jingles and advertisements.",
        "A cartridge for a computer or video game system.",
        "A cartridge containing cannabis oil or another drug for use in vape pens; a detachable clearomizer, usually threaded and prefilled."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "slang"
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for cart →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-Y2FydA