transferred from the neanderthal threadOn another matter entirely, for the sake of conserving the dwindling reservoir of posts, does UK "arse" actually come from the Romanish "karsi," after all, and not the plowshare's stubborn friend? ("karsi," according to the most recent rhyming slang post, is Romanish for "latrine," was picked up by street kids in 18C or 19C as part of their slang and would seem to make more sense as the source of "arse." But, then, all sense is seeming
No, "arse" comes into the English language very early on - it is of Teutonic provenance and could have come in via the Norsemen or the Saxons. Words of Romany origin are more likely to be allied to the languages of India.
by street kids in 18C or 19C - "barrow-boys" weren't the same as street kids, and the term could be applied as well to a man of 80 as to one of 18. I'm not sure when that term came into use, incidentally - I think it is probably a C20 invention. In the previous century, street traders were know as costermongers (literally, sellers of apples - although it covered all forms of produce)
