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Origin and history of perambulator

perambulator(n.)

1610s, "one who perambulates," agent noun in Latin form from perambulate. From 1680s as "instrument for measuring distances traveled." Sense of "small three- or four-wheeled baby carriage" is attested by 1856; often colloquially shortened to pram.

also from 1610s

Entries linking to perambulator

perambulate(v.)

"walk through, about, or over," 1560s, from Latin perambulatus, past participle of perambulare "to walk through, go through, ramble through," from per "through" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "through") + ambulare "to walk, go about" (see amble (v.)). Related: Perambulated; perambulating.

pram(n.)

"baby carriage," 1881, a colloquial shortening of perambulator, perhaps influenced by pram "flat-bottomed boat" (1540s), especially a type used in Baltic ports for loading and unloading merchant vessels, from Old Norse pramr, from Balto-Slavic (compare Polish prom, Russian poromu "ferryboat," Czech pram "raft"), from PIE *pro-, from root *per- (1) "forward," hence "in front of, toward, through."

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    carriage
    late 14c., "act of carrying, means of conveyance; wheeled vehicles collectively," from Anglo-French and Old North French cariage "cart, carriage, action of transporting in a vehicle" (Old French charriage, Modern French charriage), from carier "to carry," from Late Latin carricar
    ramp
    1778, "slope," from French rampe, a back-formation from Old French verb ramper "to climb, scale, mount;" see ramp (v.). Meaning "road on or off a major highway" is from 1952, American English. Older sense (now obsolete or archaic) was "a leap, spring, bound" (1670s); earlier stil
    baby
    late 14c., babi, "infant of either sex," diminutive of babe (q.v.) with -y (3). The meaning "childish adult person" is from c. 1600. The sense of "youngest of a group" is by 1897. As a term of endearment for one's lover it is attested perhaps as early as 1839, certainly by 1901 (
    conservation
    late 14c., conservacioun, "preservation of health and soundness, maintenance in good condition, act of guarding or keeping with care," from Latin conservationem (nominative conservatio) "a keeping, preserving, conserving," noun of action from past-participle stem of conservare "t
    deliberate
    early 15c., "done with careful consideration," from Latin deliberatus "resolved upon, determined," past participle of deliberare "consider carefully, consult," literally "weigh well," from de, here probably "entirely" (see de-) + -liberare, altered (probably by influence of liber
    contrive
    early 14c., controve, contreve, "to invent, devise, plan;" late 14c., "to manage by a plan or scheme," from Old French controver (Modern French controuver) "to find out, contrive, imagine," from Late Latin contropare "to compare" (via a figure of speech), from an assimilated form
    social
    early 15c., "devoted to or relating to home life;" 1560s as "living with others," from French social (14c.) and directly from Latin socialis "of companionship, of allies; united, living with others; of marriage, conjugal," from socius "companion, ally," probably originally "follo
    redemption
    mid-14c., redemcioun, "deliverance from sin," from Old French redemcion (12c.) and directly from Latin redemptionem (nominative redemptio) "a buying back or off, a releasing, a ransoming" (also "bribery"), noun of action from past-participle stem of redimere "to redeem, buy back,
    hold
    Middle English holden, earlier halden, from Old English haldan (Anglian), healdan (West Saxon), "to contain; to grasp; to retain (liquid, etc.); to observe, fulfill (a custom, etc.); to have as one's own; to have in mind (of opinions, etc.); to possess, control, rule; to detain,

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