Where does “crankman” come from?

crankman (English) comes from English MAN, from English manual, from Middle English manuel, from Anglo-Norman manuel, from Old French manual, from Latin manuālis, from Latin manus, from Proto-Italic manus — human being; man; hand.

crankman (English): A man employed to operate a crank

Definitions

  1. A man employed to operate a crank

Ancestry of “crankman”, step by step

crankman traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English MAN

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishMANInitialism of Metropolitan Area Network
2EnglishmanualA handbook; A booklet that instructs on the usage...
3Middle Englishmanuel
4Anglo-Normanmanuelmanual; done with the hands; handle; manual;...
5Old Frenchmanual
6Latinmanuālishand
7Latinmanushand; bravery, valor; violence, fighting
8Proto-Italicmanushand
9Proto-Indo-Europeanman-human being; man; hand

via English crank

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcrankStrange, weird, odd; Sick; unwell; Liable to...
2Middle Low Germankrank
3Old Saxonkrank
4Proto-West Germanickrankweak, sick
5Proto-Germanickrankazbent; crooked; weak
6Proto-Indo-Europeanger-to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European man-Every word from Proto-Italic manusEvery word from Latin manus
crankman — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer