Where does “double-cross” come from?
double-cross (English) comes from English cross, from French croix, from German Kreuz, from Spanish Cruz, from Portuguese cruz, from Italian croce, from Latin crux, from Proto-Italic *kruks — to caw, crow.
double-cross (English): To betray or go back on
Ancestry of “double-cross”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | cross | A geometrical figure consisting of two straight... |
| 2 | French | croix | cross; a representation of a cross; the cross as... |
| 3 | German | Kreuz | cross; clubs; sharp |
| 4 | Spanish | Cruz | — |
| 5 | Portuguese | cruz | cross |
| 6 | Italian | croce | cross |
| 7 | Latin | crux | wooden frame on which criminals were crucified,... |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | *kruks | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |
Words derived from “double-cross”