Where does “cretin” come from?
cretin (English) comes from French crétin, from French crestin, from French chrétien, from Old French chrestien, from Latin Christiānus, from Latin Chrīstus, from Ancient Greek Χριστός, from Ancient Greek χρίω — to rub; to stroke; to grind.
cretin (English): A person who fails to develop mentally and...
Definitions
- A person who fails to develop mentally and...
Ancestry of “cretin”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | crétin | cretin |
| 2 | French | crestin | Christian |
| 3 | French | chrétien | Christian |
| 4 | Old French | chrestien | Christian |
| 5 | Latin | Christiānus | Christian |
| 6 | Latin | Chrīstus | — |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | Χριστός | anointed; messiah; annointed, the annointed one,... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | χρίω | to rub or smear (especially the body) with oil or unguents; to anoint |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰrēy- | to smear; to paint, streak, smear |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰer- | to rub; to stroke; to grind |