A person who makes or repairs wooden frameworks, structures, or wheels, especially in historical crafts. The term comes from the Old English word for a maker or builder of arks.
From Middle English 'arkwright,' combining 'ark' (a chest or wooden framework) and 'wright' (a maker or builder). The suffix '-wright' appears in many occupational names like 'playwright' and 'cartwright.' The word evolved to describe skilled craftspeople who constructed various wooden structures and mechanisms.
Richard Arkwright, the famous 18th-century inventor, took his surname from this occupational designation—his ancestors were likely involved in woodworking or mechanical construction. The '-wright' suffix is a linguistic time capsule showing how medieval English named people by their professions, and it's why we still call playwrights 'wrights' today!
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