Caddy
/ˈkædi/noun
A person who carries a golfer’s clubs, or a container used for storing tea or other items.
Did you know?The golf sense developed from Scottish cadet, meaning a young person or trainee, while the tea-container sense ultimately comes from Malay kati, a weight used in Asian trade.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Latin
Latin
caput
“Head; the source of a family of words associated with leadership and position.”
Medieval Occitan
Occitan
capdet
“A younger son or junior person; literally connected with the idea of a little or lesser head.”
16th Century
French
cadet
“A younger son, especially one who might enter military service.”
17th Century
Scots English
cadie/caddie
“A young person hired for errands or carrying burdens.”
18th Century
Scottish English
caddie
“A person employed to carry a golfer’s clubs.”
17th–18th Century
Malay/English
kati/caddy
“A Southeast Asian unit of weight; English caddy came to denote a tea container associated with traded tea.”
Modern English
English
caddy
“A golf-club carrier or a storage container, especially for tea.”