English
crutch
Crutch comes from Old English cryċċ ‘crutch, staff’, from Proto-Indo-European *grewg- ‘wrinkle, bend’, and ultimately from *ger-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ger-‘to turn, bend’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*grewg-‘wrinkle, bend’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*krukjō‘crutch, staff’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*krukkju‘curved staff’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150cryċċ‘crutch, staff’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500crucche
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1608–1609crutch
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ger-‘to turn, bend’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*grewg-‘wrinkle, bend’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*krukjō‘crutch, staff’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*krukkju‘curved staff’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150cryċċ‘crutch, staff’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500crucche
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1608–1609crutch
Earliest quotation: c. 1608–1609, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Coriolanus: “I'll lean upon one crutch, and fight with the…”
The story
Latin crucia, crucca, croccia, crocia (‘crutch’), and its descendants are ultimately from the Germanic.
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’
through Proto-Germanic *krukjō ‘crutch, staff’
through Middle English crucche
Today it means
noun A device to assist in motion as a cane, especially one that provides support under the arm to reduce weight on a leg.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ger- / crutch