Brewer's: Carpenter

is from the Low Latin carpentarius, a maker of carpenta (two-wheeled carts and carriages). The carpentum was used for ladies; the carpentum funebre or carpentum pompaticum was a hearse. There was also a carpentum (cart) for agricultural purposes. There is no Latin word for our “carpenter”; the phrase faber lignarius is used by Cicero. Our forefathers called a carpenter a “smith” or a “wood-smith.” (French, charpentér.)

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