Etymograph

English

carotid

Carotid comes from Ancient Greek κᾰρωτῐ́δες ‘carotid arteries’, from κᾰρόω ‘to plunge into deep sleep or torpor’, and perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- ‘head’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱerh₂-1‘head’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱr̥h₂-(e)s-n-1e‘top of the head/skull’uncertain
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*kárahə1uncertain
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκᾰ́ρᾱ2kắrā‘head’uncertain
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκᾰ́ρος3‘heavy sleep, torpor’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκᾰρόω4‘to plunge into deep sleep or torpor’
  7. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκᾰρωτῐ́δες4kărōtĭ́des‘carotid arteries’
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentcarotide4uncertain
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2013carotid4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek κάρα
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek κάρος, which cites Beekes
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek καρόω
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English carotid
  5. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2013, Hannibal: “I shoot Mr. Marlow twice, severing jugulars and cartoids…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱerh₂-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek κάρα‘head’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱr̥h₂-(e)s-n-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek κάραe‘top of the head/skull’uncertain
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*kárahəWiktionary, Ancient Greek κάραuncertain
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκᾰ́ρᾱWiktionary, Ancient Greek κάρος, which cites Beekeskắrā‘head’uncertain
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκᾰ́ροςWiktionary, Ancient Greek καρόω‘heavy sleep, torpor’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκᾰρόωWiktionary, English carotid‘to plunge into deep sleep or torpor’
  7. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκᾰρωτῐ́δεςWiktionary, English carotidkărōtĭ́des‘carotid arteries’
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentcarotideWiktionary, English carotiduncertain
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2013carotidWiktionary, English carotid. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2013, Hannibal: “I shoot Mr. Marlow twice, severing jugulars and cartoids…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- ‘head’

horn, hart, cerebral, crater, grail, migraine, corny, cornea, cornet, cerebellum, cranium, cairn, procrastinate, keratin, cerebrum, rother, 51 more

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂-(e)s-n- ‘top of the head/skull’

cheer, 2 more

Today it means

noun Either of the two main arteries that supply blood to the head of which the left in humans arises from the arch of the aorta and the right by bifurcation of the brachiocephalic artery with each passing up the side of the neck and dividing opposite the upper border of the thyroid cartilage into an external branch supplying the face, tongue, and external parts of the head and an internal branch suppl

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “carotid”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek κάρα, Ancient Greek κάρος, Ancient Greek καρόω. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- / carotid

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