Where does “crotal” come from?

crotal (English) comes from French crotale, from Latin crotalum, from Ancient Greek κρόταλον, from Ancient Greek κροτέω — to rattle.

crotal (English): A crotalum, a type of clapper used in Ancient Greece

Definitions

  1. A crotalum, a type of clapper used in Ancient Greece

Ancestry of “crotal”, step by step

crotal traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French crotale

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcrotalecrotales; pit viper; rattlesnake
2Latincrotalumcastanet
3Ancient Greekκρόταλονclapper, rattle, castanet
4Ancient Greekκροτέωto rattle

via Scottish Gaelic crotal

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Scottish Gaeliccrotallichen in general
2Middle Irishcrotball—
Every word from Ancient Greek κροτέω →Every word from Ancient Greek κρόταλον →Every word from Latin crotalum →