Where does “crimespeak” come from?
crimespeak (English) comes from English speak, from Middle English speke, from Old English specan, from Old English sprecan, from Proto-West Germanic *sprekan, from Proto-Germanic sprekaną, from Proto-Indo-European spreg- — to make a sound, speak; to make a sound, utter,...
crimespeak (English): The jargon associated with crime and criminals
Definitions
- The jargon associated with crime and criminals
Ancestry of “crimespeak”, step by step
crimespeak traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English speak
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | speak | To communicate with one's voice, to say words out... |
| 2 | Middle English | speke | — |
| 3 | Old English | specan | Alternative form of sprecan; to speak |
| 4 | Old English | sprecan | to speak, talk |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *sprekan | to speak |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | sprekaną | to speak, to make a noise |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | spreg- | to make a sound, speak; to make a sound, utter,... |
via English crime
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | crime | A specific act committed in violation of the law;... |
| 2 | Middle English | cryme | A criminal action or decision; that which is... |
| 3 | Old French | crime | — |
| 4 | Latin | crīmen | a judicial decision, verdict, or judgment |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | kreimen | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kréymn̥ | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | krey- | to sift, separate, divide |