Where does “crutch word” come from?
crutch word (English) comes from English Word, from English worth, from Middle English worth, from Old English weorþ, from Proto-Germanic werþaz, from Proto-Indo-European wert-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
crutch word (English): A word that becomes a filler in conversation, or is used for verbal emphasis, without adding any meaning to an utterance
Definitions
- A word that becomes a filler in conversation, or is used for verbal emphasis, without adding any meaning to an utterance
Ancestry of “crutch word”, step by step
crutch word traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Word
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Word | Scripture; The Bible; The creative word of God;... |
| 2 | English | worth | Having a value of; proper to be exchanged for;... |
| 3 | Middle English | worth | to become |
| 4 | Old English | weorþ | worth, deserving; honoured, esteemed; worth,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | werþaz | worthy, valuable |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |