Also 4 karp, 5 karpe, 4–7 carpe. [Senses 1–3, chiefly in northern poetry (especially in alliterative verse), were probably a. ON. karpa to brag; but the later prose senses 4–6 appear to be derived from, or influenced by, L. carpĕre to pluck, fig. to slander, calumniate. The ulterior history of the ON. word is uncertain.]
† 1. intr. To speak, talk. Obs.
a. 1240. Wohunge, in Cott. Hom., 287. Carpe toward ihesu and seie þise wordes.
a. 1300. Cursor M., App. Resurrect., 388. Als þai come narre þe castelle, to-geder carpand.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 829. The Kyng þan full curtesly karpes agayne.
1420. Siege Rouen, 1235, in Archæol., XXII. 381. Vnnethe thay myȝt brethe or carpe.
1470. Harding, Chron., Proem. x. Leonell … that wedded … The erles daughter of Vister, as man do Karpe.
1570. Levins, Manip., 33/3. To carpe, talke, colloqui, confabulari.
1575. Turberv., Bk. Falconrie, Epil. Aa iij. To carpe it fine with those that haue no guile.
† b. To discourse of, in speech or writing. Obs.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 216. Þe kowherdes bestes i carped of bi-fore.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XXII. 199. Thus conscience of crist and of þe croys carpede.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., III. Prol. 26 (Jam.). Of thame … Carpe we bot lityl.
a. 1605. Montgomerie, Flyting, 575. Of his conditions to carp for a while.
† 2. trans. To speak, utter, say, tell. Obs.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 503. To karp þe soþe.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 325. To carpe Proverbes and demaundes sligh.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 4610. When Calcas his counsell had carpit to the end.
1515. Sc. Field, 73, in Furniv., Percy Folio, I. 216. Our Knight full [of] courage carpeth these words.
† 3. intr. To sing or recite (as a minstrel); to sing (as a bird). Obs.
c. 1425. Thomas of Erceld., 313. ‘To harpe or carpe, whareso þou gose, Thomas, þou sall hafe þe chose sothely’: And he saide ‘harpynge kepe I none, For tonge es chefe of mynstralsye.’
1515. Barclay, Egloges, iv. (1570), C iv/2. In goodly ditie or balade for to carpe.
a. 1528. Skelton, Agst. comely Coyst., 13. In his gamut carp he can.
c. 1570. Thynne, Pride & Lowl. (1841), 8. Many was the bird did sweetly carpe Among the thornes.
1802. Lochmaben Harper, vii. in Scott, Minstr. Scott. Bord. (1869), 94. Then aye he harped, and aye he carped Till a’ the lordlings footed the floor.
† 4. Vituperatively: To talk much, to prate, chatter. Cf. CARPER. Obs.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. X. 69. Clerkes … carpen of god faste, and haue [him] moche in þe mouthe.
a. 1528. Skelton, Col. Cloute, 549. Some … Clatter & carpe Of that heresy.
1530. Palsgr., 476/1. I carpe (Lydgate), Je carquette … This is a farre northen verbe.
1557. Praise Maistr. Ryce, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 202. Came curiousness and carped out of frame.
5. spec. To talk querulously, censoriously or captiously; to find fault, cavil. (The current sense.)
(Certain examples of this before the 16th c. are wanting: the early ones may have merely the sense of 1 with contextual coloring. Cf. CARPER.)
[1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. X. 286. Abasshed To blame yow or to greve, And carpen noght as they carpe now, Ne calle yow dumbe houndes.
1401. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 77. Thou carpist also of oure coveitise, and sparist the sothe.
1515. Barclay, Egloges, i. (1570), A j. Some in Satyres against vices dare carpe.]
1548. Soul John-Nobody, in Strype, Cranmer (1694), App. 139. They will currishly carp.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., I. xiii. (1634), 49. Servetto carpeth, that God did beare the person of an Angell.
1655. Digges, Compl. Ambass., 377. The King … carpeth upon the marriage.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm. Malice of Soc. In carping and harshly censuring … their neighbours.
1785. Burns, 2nd Ep. Lapraik. Ne’er grudge an’ carp, Tho’ fortune use you hard an’ sharp.
1863. Cowden Clarke, Shaks. Char., xv. 386. The bulk of society did not assemble to carp and to cavil.
b. Const. at.
1586. Thynne, Contn. Holinshed, Pref. Curiouslie carping at my barrennes in writing.
1794. Burke, Corr., IV. 235. That faction and malice may not be able to carp at it.
1879. M. Arnold, Falkland, Mixed Ess. 207. We will not carp at this great writer.
† 6. trans. To find fault with, reprehend, take exception to. Obs.
1550. Cranmer, Sacrament, 100 a. Whiche my saiyng diuers ignorant persones … did carpe and reprehende.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Luke vii. marg. The Pharisees did alwaies carpe Christ.
1598. Grenewey, Tacitus Ann., V. ii. (1622), 117. Couertly carping the Consull Fufius.
1605. Camden, Rem. (1637), 230. Carping whatsoever hath been done or said heretofore.
1678. R. Barclay, Apol. Quakers, iii. § vii. 87. Our Adversaries shall have nothing from thence to carp.
† 7. intr. (?) To censure; to judge, discriminate.
1591. Troub. Raigne K. John (1611), B iij. When any one that knoweth how to carpe, Will scarcely iudge vs both one countrey borne.
† 8. (?) To contend, fight. Obs. rare.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., I. 606. With brandis bricht that scherand wer and scharp So cruellie togidder did tha carp.
¶ Associated with CARK, q.v.
c. 1465. Chevy Chace, II. 135. Tivydale may carpe off care.
1522. World & Child, in Hazl., Dodsley, I. 267. Ever he is carping of care.
1670. G. H., Hist. Cardinals, I. II. 49. Poor drudgeing … Priests that carp and moyl all day long.
1702. Eng. Theophrast., 312. Carping for the unprofitable goods of this world.
