Where does “cramp” come from?

Cramp comes from Middle English crampe, from Old French crampe, from Frankish krampa, from Proto-Germanic krampō, from Proto-Indo-European grem-, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European ger-.

cramp (English): A painful contraction of a muscle which cannot be...

Definitions

  1. A painful contraction of a muscle which cannot be...

Ancestry of “cramp”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcrampe—
2Old Frenchcrampecramp
3Frankishkrampacramp
4Proto-Germanickrampōcramp; clasp
5Proto-Germanickrampôcramp
6Proto-Indo-Europeangrem-to bind together, unite; lap, pile, heap
7Proto-Indo-Europeanger-to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

Words derived from “cramp”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ger- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European grem- →Every word from Proto-Germanic krampô →