Where does “cradle” come from?
Cradle comes from Middle English cradel, from Old English cradol, from Proto-Germanic kradulaz, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root gretH-.
cradle (English): A bed or cot for a baby, oscillating on rockers...
Definitions
- A bed or cot for a baby, oscillating on rockers...
Ancestry of “cradle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cradel | A cradle bed for babies |
| 2 | Old English | cradol | cradle |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | kradul | cradle |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kradulaz | cradle |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kradô | basket |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | grotHón- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gretH- | to tie |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ger- | to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind... |