"Caravan"

[DrHenley]

Word histories, especially the different evolution of words in different countries, has always fascinated me.

Take the word "Caravan" - From the Persian کاروان‎

Originally, a caravan was a group of people traveling together across the desert on camels.

Caravan

So it was only natural that when people started traveling together in groups of vehicles, the word "caravan" was sometimes used to describe the group.

Caravan of automobiles

The word was especially used in place of "convoy" when describing a group of tourists traveling together in vehicles, especially when they were towing travel trailers or campers.

Caravan of tourists towing travel trailers

Today, in the United States, it still means a group of people traveling together for recreation, as opposed to a convoy which generally refers to a caravan of military vehicles or long haul truckers.

But somehow, in the UK and their other former colonies, caravan completely lost its original meaning, and got attached to the travel trailers people used in caravans, instead of the caravans themselves. How it made the jump is curious, since the meaning is completely different from the original. I can only assume that people spoke about traveling in a "caravan" and other people heard that and misunderstood what they meant, thinking it was the camper they were referring to instead of the collective word for the group.

At any rate, now in the UK, it is a "one size fits all" word which means a SINGLE

Camper

Or Travel trailer

Or Pickup Camper

Or Mobile Home

Or Gypsy wagon

Or Tiny Home

 

[lonewolf]

generally in the UK a caravan is a trailer we tow behind an automobile, a caravan with a motor is a camper and a fold down tent on a trailer is a trailer tent. I lived in a wooden caravan for a few years, not quite a gypsy wagon but along those lines.

 

[Silent Earth]

Caravan my friend is a " Spit" FRENCH word. Word Origin and History for caravan. n. 1580s, from Middle French caravane


1 Camel Caravan is Camel Train in English English
2 Caravan of automobiles is a Cavalcade or Convoy
3 Caravan of tourists towing travel trailers is Convoy of Caravans
4 RV is a Motorhome
5 Camper is a Trailer Tent
6 Travel Trailer is a Caravan
7 Pickup Camper is a Demountable
8 Mobile home is a Static (Caravan)
9 Gypsy Wagon is Roma Traveller Caravan
10 Tiny Home is only something the Yanks can come up with

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

A gadzho soha nem fogják megérteni. That caravan lifestyle.

But I'm as American as apple pie and bass fishing (I do love to nail a big carp though) so I will call my Airstream a travel trailer.

Love the word history on caravan.

Haven't I read the places camel trains stopped at as "caravansary?"

 

[TexasFreedom]

Nobody mentions that caravan is also a minivan made by Dodge? Word evolution is interesting to me as well...

 

[DrHenley]

Caravan my friend is a " Spit" FRENCH word. Word Origin and History for caravan. n. 1580s, from Middle French caravane

It came from Persian کاروان (kārawān)

 

[Silent Earth]

It came from Persian کاروان (kārawān)

Ok so we are going back to the dark ages then

 

[Silent Earth]

A gadzho soha nem fogják megérteni. That caravan lifestyle.

But I'm as American as apple pie and bass fishing (I do love to nail a big carp though) so I will call my Airstream a travel trailer.

Love the word history on caravan.

Haven't I read the places camel trains stopped at as "caravansary?"

AHA Gotcha REAL Merkins hunt for Catfish

 

[Brent S]

Tomatoe, tomato.....as long as I know what your talking about you can pronounce it anyway you like.

 

[Brent S]

Seriously, never thought about the camel being the first use of the word. I figured the ‘car’ part signified the automobile.

 

[lonewolf]

in my part of the country a caravan is one that is towed by a vehicle, one that has its own engine is called a camper.

 

[DrHenley]

If you'll notice, I removed the RV from the list, bigpaul. But from what I read, truck campers are considered caravans (it's sort of being "towed"), so I left that in the list.

 

[lonewolf]

yes, I don't think RV's as such exist over here-not down here anyway, a truck camper is more likely a "living in " vehicle with a wood burner used by the homeless and alternative community(horse boxes are a favourite of this group).

 

[user 6493]

don't forget the Dodge Caravan

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

More mobile, but hard to entertain guests in!

 

[Silent Earth]

Large RVs over here are often referred to as Expedition Vehicles as well. Oddly enough they often get called Winnebagos regardless of who made them. Ex Peds often being highly off road capable or having high ground clearance and short overhangs. Winnies being those huge great things your Snowbirds like so much.

 

[Silent Earth]

Camel trains go back to BEFORE Marco Polos time when silk route traders transported goods and merchandise between China, India and Europe, much of the central and eastern parts of the journey was done with Camels. We ( Brits refer to them as Camel Trains, French call them Camel Caravans or Camel Convoys hence the often used words CONVOI EXCEPTIONNEL for very long modern road vehicles on the Continent.

 

[Gazrok]

More mobile, but hard to entertain guests in!

That's what air mattresses and alcohol are for.....

 

[Silent Earth]

Britain and America two nations separated by a common language.

 

[user 6493]

BUT

More mobile, but hard to entertain guests in!

but it good on gas.........................

 

[DrHenley]

Oddly enough they often get called Winnebagos regardless of who made them.

Same here.

 

[Silent Earth]

don't forget the Dodge Caravan

Cessna Caravan