Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “crafty” come from?

Crafty comes from Middle English crafti, from Old English cræftiġ, from Proto-Germanic kraftagaz, originally meaning skilled or strong in craft.

crafty (English): Relating to, or characterized by, craft or skill;...

Definitions

  1. Relating to, or characterized by, craft or skill;...

Ancestry of “crafty”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Saxonkraftagpowerful, skillful, cunning, ingenious, learned
2Proto-Germanickraftagaz—

Words derived from “crafty”

  • craftiness
  • uncrafty
  • uncraftiness
  • outcrafty
  • dwimmer-crafty
Every word from Proto-Germanic kraftagaz →