An archaic or dialectal term for a fellow or companion, possibly from comic or market contexts.
Uncertain origin, possibly from com- ('together') + art or part, or a corruption of market-related terminology. Usage is rare and primarily found in historical texts.
This is one of those words that linguists love because it's so obscure that each historical document using it might mean something slightly different—it's like finding a secret that even experts don't fully understand!
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