pedicab
UK[ˈped.ɪ.kæb]US[ˈped.ɪ.kæb]
n
A small three-wheeled passenger vehicle, typically for one or two passengers, powered by a person pedaling like on a bicycle.
Morpheme Breakdown
ped
i
cab
ped
foot
i
cab
carriage
Etymology
The word 'pedicab' is a modern 20th-century English blend, created by combining morphemes from different classical sources to name a new invention. The first element, 'ped-', draws from the Latin root for 'foot', directly alluding to the foot-powered pedals that propel the vehicle. The second element, '-cab', is a shortened form derived from 'cabriolet', a type of carriage, which itself entered English via French from Latin 'caper' (to leap). Thus, the term's literal construction as "foot-carriage" logically describes a human-powered passenger vehicle, differentiating it from motorized rickshaws or animal-drawn carts.
Analysis
Structure: ped (foot) + i + cab (carriage)
- ped: From Latin 'pes, ped-' meaning 'foot'. Denotes relation to the foot or pedaling.
- i: A connecting vowel, often used in English to join morphemes of Latin origin.
- cab: A clipping of 'cabriolet', a light horse-drawn carriage, later applied to taxicabs. Here, it denotes a passenger vehicle.
Examples
We took a leisurely tour of the old town in a brightly decorated pedicab.
The city has regulations limiting the number of pedicabs operating in the downtown area.
He earns his living as a pedicab driver near the popular tourist market.