English
tocrack
Tocrack comes from Middle English tocraken ‘to cause a cracking sound by breaking…’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gerh₂-‘to make a sound, cry hoarsely’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gerg-reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*krakōn‘to crack, crackle, shriek’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150cracian‘to make a cracking sound, crack’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500tocraken‘to cause a cracking sound by breaking something with a lot of force’
- Englishtodaytocrack
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gerh₂-‘to make a sound, cry hoarsely’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*gerg-reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*krakōn‘to crack, crackle, shriek’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150cracian‘to make a cracking sound, crack’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500tocraken‘to cause a cracking sound by breaking something with a lot of force’
- Englishtodaytocrack
Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ ‘two’
Proto-Indo-European *dwís ‘two-ways, in twain’
Proto-Germanic *twiz- ‘apart, in two’
Proto-West Germanic *tō-
English to-
Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- ‘to resound; to cry hoarsely’
Proto-West Germanic *krakōn ‘to crack; to crackle’
Old English cracian ‘to resound; to crack’
Middle English crakken
English crack
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- ‘to make a sound, cry hoarsely’
through Proto-Indo-European *gerg-
crouch, crochet, encroach, 6 more
through Proto-West Germanic *krakōn ‘to crack, crackle, shriek’
Today it means
verb To crack, fracture, fissure; to break with a cracking sound.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- / tocrack