carnival (English)
Where does "carnival" come from?
The English word 'carnival' traces its origins to the Italian 'carnevale'[1]. While many linguists suggest this term stems from the Latin 'carnem levāre' meaning 'to take away or remove meat' as a reference to the fasting period of Lent[2], other scholars propose alternative roots such as the Latin 'carnuālia' denoting a 'meat-based country feast' or 'carrus nāvālis' meaning a 'boat wagon' or 'float'[1]. The term entered English through Middle French 'carnaval'[1] and eventually shifted from a noun describing the festival to a verb meaning to participate in such celebrations or to move about playfully[1].
Open questions
- The derivation from carnem levāmen or carnem levāre is widely cited but remains a subject of academic debate alongside theories favoring carnuālia or carrus nāvālis. [1] [2]
Full etymology tree
- carnival (English), 'To participate in a carnival.'
- inherited carnaval (Middle French)
- inherited carnevale (Italian), 'carnival; festival in the week before Lent'
- derived carnem levāre (Latin)
- calque ἀπόκρεως (apókreōs) (Ancient Greek)
- derived carnem levāre (Latin)
- inherited carnevale (Italian), 'carnival; festival in the week before Lent'
- inherited carnaval (Middle French)
Ancestors
- *(s)ker- (Proto-Indo-European)
- carnevale (Italian)
Cognates and doublets
- carnaval (English)
Sources
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris