Obs. Also caramousal, -musall, -mosil; carmasal, carmizale, carmusol. [In It. ‘caramusáli, a kind of ship in Ormuz, caramusalino, a kind of pinnace or bark’ (Florio), caramussále, a Turkish merchantman (Baretti), Sp. caramuzal ‘transport vessel used by the Moors’ (Velasquez), F. carmoussal ‘a kind of Turkish ship’ (Cotgr.), 16th c. L. caramussallus, Turkish qarāmusāl a kind of ship (Meninski 1680, Zenker 1866). (Kara-mussal is also the name of a place in the Gulf of Nicomedia near the Bosphorus.)] A Turkish and Moorish ship of burden, noted in the 17th c.
Thos. Hyde, Notes on Peritsot’s Trav. (1691), says (p. 81) ‘navis cujus prora ac puppis sunt elevatiora quam media pars’: cf. the description of the old CARAVEL.
[1565. Hieron. Comes Alexandrinus, Comment. de bello in insulam Melitam (in Du Cange, and Jal) Tria navigia quæ vulgo appellant Caramussalos; minora sunt autem onerariis navibus, et figura prope ovali.]
1587. Saunders, Voy. Tripoli, in Hakluyt, Voy., II. 187. I and sixe more … were sent forth in a Galeot to take a Greekish Carmosell.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turkes (1621), 1329. There were two gallies, a caramoussal, and a Greeke brigandine.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav. (1670), 20. Turkish Carmasals and Gallies.
1628. Digby, Voy. Medit. (1868), 33. I made her for a carmizale.
1651. Howell, Venice, 195. Som Gallies and Caramusalls that carried passengers upon a Pilgrimage to Mecha.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Carmasal, carmusol.
1668. Wilkins, Real Char., II. xi. 280. Galeot, Caramosil, Carrack, Caravel.
1696. Phillips, Carmousal, a Turkish ship with a very high poop.
1721–1800. Bailey, Caramousel, and Carmousal.
