Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “croque-madame” come from?

croque-madame (English) comes from French croque-madame, from French croquer, from Middle French croquer, from Old French crokier, from French craquer, from Middle French craquer, from Dutch kraken, from Norwegian kraken — to grow old, to mature.

croque-madame (English): A croque-monsieur with a fried egg on top

Definitions

  1. A croque-monsieur with a fried egg on top

Ancestry of “croque-madame”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcroque-madamecroque-madame
2Frenchcroquerto crunch; to waste, squander; to sketch, outline
3Middle Frenchcroquer—
4Old Frenchcrokierto slap, hit, strike
5Frenchcraquerto split, to break; to crack; to crack, to creak,...
6Middle Frenchcraquer—
7Dutchkrakento crack, break open; to make a creaky sound,...
8Norwegiankraken—
9Norwegiankrakesea monster
10Esperantokrakito crack, crackle
11EnglishcrackTo form cracks; To break apart under pressure; To...
12Middle Englishcrakloud conversation, bragging talk
13Old Norsekrákacrow
14Proto-Germanic*krakǭ—
15Proto-Germanickrakōnąto crack; crackle; shriek
16Proto-Indo-Europeanǵerh₂-to grow old, to mature
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- →