English
croissant
Croissant comes from French croissant ‘crescent’, from croître ‘to increase, to grow’, and ultimately from 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‘to rise, grow, grow up’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrēscentemnext step skipped: Old French creistre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400creissant
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400croisant
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcroître‘to increase, to grow’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentcroissant‘crescent’
- Englishearliest quotation 1919same form
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‘to rise, grow, grow up’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrēscentemnext step skipped: Old French creistre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400creissant
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400croisant
- Frenchc. 1600–presentcroître‘to increase, to grow’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentcroissant‘crescent’
- Englishearliest quotation 1919same form
Earliest quotation: 1919, William Somerset Maugham, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […]: “By my side was the empty bowl in which…”
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 ‘to rise, grow, grow up’
increase, increasing, decrease, increment, accretion, excrement, 10 more
through Old French creissant
through French croître ‘to increase, to grow’
Today it means
noun A flaky roll or pastry in a form of a crescent.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱer- / croissant