Where does “crack” come from?

Crack comes from Middle English crak, from Old English cracian, from Proto-Indo-European gerh₂-, ultimately from the root ger- meaning to make a sharp sound.

crack (English): To form cracks; To break apart under pressure; To...

Definitions

To form cracks; To break apart under pressure; To...

Ancestry of “crack”, step by step

crack traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English crak

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Middle English	crak	loud conversation, bragging talk
2	Old Norse	kráka	crow
3	Proto-Germanic	*krakǭ	—
4	Proto-Germanic	krakōną	to crack; crackle; shriek
5	Proto-Indo-European	ǵerh₂-	to grow old, to mature

via Middle English crakken

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Middle English	crakken	—
2	Old English	cracian	to resound; to crack
3	Old Dutch	krakōn	to crack, creak, emit a cry
4	Proto-Indo-European	gerg-	to shout; tracery, basket, twist; wicker, bend
5	Proto-Indo-European	ger-	to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

Words derived from “crack”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- →