carp

Etymology 1

From Middle English carpe (late 14th century), via Old French carpe from a surmised Vulgar Latin *carpa (which is also the source of Italian carpa). The word is of Germanic origin, cognate with Old High German karpho. An East Germanic origin (unrecorded Gothic *karpa) has been proposed, as the fish was introduced from the Danube.

noun

1. Any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, especially the common carp, Cyprinus carpio.

Etymology 2

From Old Norse karpa (“to boast, brag”), karp (“bragging”); meaning later changed to "find fault with, carp at" due to influence of Latin carpō.

verb

1. To complain about a fault; to harp on.
2. (obsolete) To say; to tell.
3. (obsolete, transitive) To find fault with; to censure.
   27 December 1591, Edmund Spenser, letter to Sir Walter Raleigh and with your good countenance protect against the malice of evil mouths, which are always wide open to carp at and misconstrue my simple meaning