English
crescent
Crescent comes from Latin crēscō ‘arise, thrive’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *ḱer-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱer-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱreh₁-sḱétireconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrēscō‘arise, thrive’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrēscentemnext step skipped: Old French creistrepresent active participle of crēscō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400creissant
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400cressaunt
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602crescent
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱer-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱreh₁-sḱétireconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrēscō‘arise, thrive’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrēscentemnext step skipped: Old French creistrepresent active participle of crēscō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400creissant
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400cressaunt
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1599–1602crescent
Earliest quotation: c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet: “For nature creſſant does not grovve alone / In…”
The story
The pronunciation with /z/ is a comparatively recent innovation due to the influence of words such as pheasant and present.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱer-
create, creative, creator, creature, cereal, creole, procreation, kore, creat, 26 more
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱreh₁-sḱéti
through Latin crēscō ‘arise, thrive’
increase, increasing, decrease, cru, accretion, increment, excrement, 10 more
through Old French creissant
Today it means
noun The figure of the moon as it appears between its first or last quarter and the new moon, with concave and convex edges terminating in points.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱer- / crescent