Etymograph

English

crotch

Crotch comes from Middle English crucche ‘crutch’, from Proto-West Germanic *krukkju ‘curved staff’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ger- ‘to turn, bend’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ger-‘to turn, bend’disputed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*grewg-‘wrinkle, bend’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*krukjō‘crutch, staff’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*krukkju‘curved staff’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150cryċċ‘crutch, staff’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500crucche‘crutch’
  7. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500crochevariant of crucche
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1836crotch

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ger-‘to turn, bend’disputed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*grewg-‘wrinkle, bend’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*krukjō‘crutch, staff’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*krukkju‘curved staff’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150cryċċ‘crutch, staff’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500crucche‘crutch’
  7. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500crochevariant of crucche
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1836crotch

Earliest quotation: 1836, J. H. P., Spiders and their Moral: “In one crotch of the old peach-tree, just by…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ger- ‘to turn, bend’

creek, griffin, crate, cripple, cram, crouch, crinkle, 9 more

through Proto-Indo-European *grewg- ‘wrinkle, bend’

crock

through Proto-Germanic *krukjō ‘crutch, staff’

crosse

through Middle English crucche ‘crutch’

crutch

Today it means

noun The ventral area (very bottom) of the human body between where the legs fork from the torso, in the area of the genitals and anus.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ger- / crotch

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