Where does “crib midget” come from?
crib midget (English) comes from English crib, from Middle English crib, from Old English crib, from Proto-Germanic kribjǭ, from Proto-Indo-European grebʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European ger- — to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...
crib midget (English): A child, especially a young child or infant
Definitions
- A child, especially a young child or infant
Ancestry of “crib midget”, step by step
crib midget traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English crib
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | crib | A baby’s bed with high, often slatted, often... |
| 2 | Middle English | crib | — |
| 3 | Old English | crib | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kribjǭ | a wickerwork; crate; wooden trough; manger; a... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | grebʰ- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ger- | to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind... |
via English midget
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | midget | A little sandfly; Any small swarming insect... |
| 2 | English | midge | any of various small two-winged flies, for... |
| 3 | Middle English | mydge | midge |
| 4 | Old English | myċġ | gnat; midge, gnat; mosquito |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | mugjō | midge, mosquito, gnat |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mū- | fly, mosquito; fly, midge; lips, muzzle |