Etymograph

English

curl

Curl may come from Middle English crulle ‘curled, curly’.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500crulle‘curled, curly’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1576curl

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500crulle‘curled, curly’uncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1576curl

Earliest quotation: 1576, George Gascoigne, The Steele Glas: “But curl their locks with bodkins and with braids”.

The story

From metathesis of Middle English crulle (‘curled, curly’), of uncertain origin but probably from an unrecorded Old English word or from Middle Dutch crul, crulle (‘curl’), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *kruzlǭ (‘bent or crooked object, curl’), connected to *krūsą (‘curl’), of unknown origin.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain. Related also to Saterland Frisian Kruus (‘curl’), German kraus (‘frizzy, crumpled, curly’), Danish krus (‘curl’), Swedish krusa (‘to crimp, curl’).

Every English word from Middle English crulle

Today it means

noun A curving piece or lock of hair; a ringlet.

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

Etymograph / Middle English crulle / curl

Shirt and support for this word