Carpus
/ˈkɑːr.pəs/noun
The group of eight small bones forming the wrist between the forearm and hand.
Did you know?Ancient Greek used καρπός for both “wrist” and “fruit,” possibly linking the grasping hand with what it plucks or gathers, though the exact semantic connection remains debated.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kerp-
“To pluck, gather, or harvest; a reconstructed root associated with grasping or collecting.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
καρπός (karpós)
“The wrist; also fruit or produce, especially something gathered or plucked.”
4th Century BCE
Greek
καρπός (karpós)
“Used in anatomical and general senses for the wrist and for fruit or yield.”
Classical Latin
Latin
carpus
“The wrist, borrowed from Greek anatomical terminology.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
carpus
“The wrist or the cluster of wrist bones in medical writing.”
Modern English
English
carpus
“The anatomical wrist region consisting of eight small bones.”