Where does “crank” come from?
Crank comes from Middle English cronk, Old English cranc, and Proto-Germanic krankaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ger- meaning to turn or wind.
crank (English): Strange, weird, odd; Sick; unwell; Liable to...
Definitions
- Strange, weird, odd; Sick; unwell; Liable to...
Ancestry of “crank”, step by step
crank traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle Low German krank
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | krank | — |
| 2 | Old Saxon | krank | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | krank | weak, sick |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | krankaz | bent; crooked; weak |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ger- | to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind... |
via Proto-Germanic krangaz
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | krangaz | — |