"C" Word Origins

crenation

Origin

Latin crenatus (“scalloped, notched”).

crenel

Origin

From Old French crenel ( > modern French créneau), diminutive of cren (“notch”).

Crenshaw

Origin

Named after American horticulturist Edwin Crenshaw, who helped develop the variety.

Creole

French

From French créole, from Spanish criollo, from Portuguese crioulo, itself from criar, "to raise" — originally describing someone raised in a household, later anyone born locally to settler ancestry.

creosote

Origin

From German Kreosot in the 1830s, coined in 1832 by German natural philosopher Carl Ludwig, Baron Reichenbach, from Ancient Greek κρέας (kréas, “flesh”) + σωτήρ (sōtḗr, “preserver”) for its use as an antiseptic and meat-preservative. The creosote bush was named after its scent. By surface analysis, containing creo-.

crepe

Latin

From French crêpe, from Latin crispus, "curled" — a doublet of the English words "crisp" and "crape".

crepitate

Origin

First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin crepitātus, perfect passive participle of crepitō (“to creak, rattle, clatter, crackle”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), itself a frequentative of crepō (“to creak, rattle, etc., burst or break with a noise, crash”).

crepuscular

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin crepusculum + -ar.

crepusculum

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin crepusculum. Doublet of crepuscle and crepuscule.

crescendo

Italian

Borrowed from Italian crescendo, "growing", from crescere, "to grow" — originally a musical instruction to play increasingly loudly.

crescent

Latin

From Old French creissant, "growing", from Latin crescens, present participle of crescere, "to grow" — a doublet of "croissant". The shape refers to the moon in its waxing phase.

crest

Latin

From Old French creste, ultimately from Latin crista, "tuft, comb" — a doublet of "crista".

crestfallen

Origin

From crest + fallen, from the appearance of a horse with its crest (head) on its chest after defeat in a battle.

crestfallenness

Origin

From crestfallen + -ness.

Cretaceous

Latin

From Latin creta, "chalk" — named for the chalk deposits characteristic of rock formed during this period.

cretan

Origin

From Crete + -an.

Crete

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek Krḗtē.

cretin

French

From French crétin, ultimately from a dialectal Alpine form of "chrétien" ("Christian"), once used sympathetically of poor or vulnerable people before the word narrowed and turned into an insult.

crevice

Latin

From Old French crevace, from crever, "to burst", from Latin crepare, "to crack" — a doublet of "crevasse".

crew

Latin

From Old French creue, "reinforcement, increase", from croistre, "to grow", from Latin crescere — originally meaning fresh troops sent to reinforce an army, later any team of workers.

Crewe

Welsh

Recorded in the Domesday Book as "Creu", from an Old Welsh word meaning "weir" or "crossing".

crewman

Origin

A compound of crew + man.

crib

Old English

From Old English crib/cribb, "manger, stall", from a Germanic root related to wickerwork — the sense broadened from a feeding trough to a baby's bed, and separately gave rise to slang for cheat notes and, later, one's home.

cribbage

Origin

From crib + -age. Named from the "crib" consisting of certain cards laid aside by each player.

Crichton

Old English

From Welsh carreg ("rock") plus Old English tūn ("enclosure; settlement"), the source of the -ton ending.

crick

Middle English

From Middle English crike/crykke, "a muscle spasm," possibly related to Old Norse kriki ("a bend or nook") — the same root that gave us "creek."

cricket

Old French

The insect sense comes from Old French criquer, "to creak or click," imitating the sound crickets make. The sport's name likely comes from the same root, possibly via a Middle Dutch word for a stick or staff used in early bat-and-ball games.

cricketer

Origin

From cricket + the agent suffix -er, meaning "one who does."

crickets

Origin

A humorous reference to the sound-effect cliche of chirping crickets used in films and TV to underline silence.

crier

Old French

From Old French crieor, from the verb crier, "to cry out or shout."

crikey

Origin · 1800

A 19th-century euphemism that softened the oath "Christ," similar to "cripes" and "criminy."

crime

Latin

From Old French crime, from Latin crimen, originally meaning "accusation" or "charge."

Crimean

Origin

From the place name Crimea + the adjective suffix -an.

crimefighter

Origin

From crime + fighter.

crimes

Origin

A euphemistic softening of "Christ," similar to "crikey" and "cripes."

criminal

Late Latin

From Late Latin criminalis, from Latin crimen, "crime" or "accusation."

criminalise

Origin

From criminal + -ise.

criminalism

Origin

From criminal + -ism.

criminality

Latin

From criminal + -ity, following French criminalité and Latin criminalitas.

criminally

Origin

From criminal + the adverb suffix -ly.

criminate

Origin

First attested circa 1591; borrowed from Latin crīminātus, perfect passive participle of crīminō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

crimination

Origin

Borrowed from Latin criminatio, criminationis.

criminology

Greek

From criminal + -logy ("study of"), ultimately from Greek logos, "word" or "study."

criminy

Origin

Either from Italian crimine (“crime”), or a minced oath from "Christ's money" (in reference to the silver that Judas was paid for betraying Jesus), or a deformation of Gemini (which was recorded as an oath from the 1660s). First attested in the 1680s.

crimp

Middle English

From Middle English crimpen, "to draw together or shrink," related to Dutch krimpen and ultimately the same root as "cramp."

crimper

Origin

From crimp + -er (agent noun suffix) or, for the climbing hold, + -er (patient suffix).

crimson

Spanish

Traces back through Old Spanish and Arabic qirmiz to a Persian word for a red dye made from insects — the same root behind "kermes" and related to "carmine."

cringe

Old English

From Old English crincgan/crenċan, "to yield or bend," ultimately from a root meaning "to turn" — the same origin as "crinkle."