Etymograph

English

cru

Cru comes from French cru ‘growth’, from croître ‘grow’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱer-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱer-‘to grow, become bigger’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱreh₁-sḱétireconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrēscōas crēscere‘to rise, grow, grow up’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400croistre
  5. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  6. Frenchc. 1600–presentcroître‘grow’
  7. French, derivedc. 1600–presentcru‘growth’past participle of croître
  8. Englishearliest quotation 2009same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱer-‘to grow, become bigger’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱreh₁-sḱétireconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrēscōas crēscere‘to rise, grow, grow up’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400croistre
  5. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  6. Frenchc. 1600–presentcroître‘grow’
  7. French, derivedc. 1600–presentcru‘growth’past participle of croître
  8. Englishearliest quotation 2009same form

Earliest quotation: 2009, Ed McCarthy, Mary Ewing-Mulligan: “Each cru has an official quality rating on a…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱer- ‘to grow, become bigger’

create, creative, creator, creature, cereal, creole, procreation, kore, creat, 26 more

through Proto-Indo-European *ḱreh₁-sḱéti

crew, 10 more

through Latin crēscō ‘to rise, grow, grow up’

increase, increasing, decrease, crescent, increment, excrement, accretion, 10 more

through French croître ‘grow’

croissant, 1 more

Today it means

noun A vineyard or group of vineyards in France, especially one having a high reputation.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱer- / cru

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