Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cripple” come from?

Cripple comes from Middle English cripel, from Old English crypel, from Proto-Germanic krupilaz, from Proto-Indo-European grewb-, ultimately from the root ger-.

cripple (English): Crippled; a person who has severely impaired...

Definitions

  1. Crippled; a person who has severely impaired...

Ancestry of “cripple”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishcripelAlternative form of crepel
2Old Englishcrypelcripple, disabled person; crippled, disabled
3Proto-West Germanickrupilcrawling, cripple
4Proto-Germanickrupilaztending to, or prone to crawl; creeping;...
5Proto-Indo-Europeangrewb-to warp, bend, crawl; to bend, crouch, crawl; to...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanger-to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

Words derived from “cripple”

  • crip
  • supercrip
  • crippler
  • crippledom
  • crippleness
  • crippleware
  • cripply
  • becripple
  • cripplesome
  • kripla
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ger- →