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
- Crippled; a person who has severely impaired...
Ancestry of “cripple”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cripel | Alternative form of crepel |
| 2 | Old English | crypel | cripple, disabled person; crippled, disabled |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | krupil | crawling, cripple |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | krupilaz | tending to, or prone to crawl; creeping;... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | grewb- | to warp, bend, crawl; to bend, crouch, crawl; to... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ger- | to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind... |