Where did the word car come from?
Car first came into Middle English as carre, from French and earlier from Latin carrus 'wheeled vehicle', and it first meant a carriage, chariot, cart, wagon, truck, or other conveyance. From the 16th to 19th centuries, the word was mainly used in poetry to describe any vehicle used in a solemn or dignified procession, as those concerned with pageantry, in times of triumph, or in war. The word was mainly used in relation to vehicles traveling on railways until it was transferred to automobiles around 1896. Other words related to car include career, cargo, caricature, carry, charge, and chariot.