Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “crotchet” come from?

Crotchet comes from Old French crochet, a diminutive of Old French croc, from Frankish krok, ultimately derived from Proto-Germanic krōkaz and Proto-Indo-European ger-.

crotchet (English): A musical note one beat long in 4/4 time; A sharp...

Definitions

  1. A musical note one beat long in 4/4 time; A sharp...

Ancestry of “crotchet”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcrochet—
2Old Frenchcrochetsmall hook
3Old Frenchcrochook; a hook-shaped weapon; grappling hook
4Frankishkrōkhook
5Proto-Germanickrōkazsomething bent, a hook
6Proto-Indo-Europeangerg-to shout; tracery, basket, twist; wicker, bend
7Proto-Indo-Europeanger-to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

Words derived from “crotchet”

  • crotchety
  • crotchetiness
  • crotchetily
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ger- →