Where does “wintercress” come from?

wintercress (English) comes from English cress, from Middle English croys, from Old French crois, from Latin crux, from Proto-Italic *kruks, from Proto-Indo-European sḱer- — to caw, crow.

wintercress (English): Any of the genus "Barbarea" of small herbaceous...

Definitions

  1. Any of the genus "Barbarea" of small herbaceous...

Ancestry of “wintercress”, step by step

wintercress traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English cress

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcressA plant of various species, chiefly cruciferous....
2Middle Englishcroyscross
3Old Frenchcroiscross; crossroads
4Latincruxwooden frame on which criminals were crucified,...
5Proto-Italic*kruks—
6Proto-Indo-Europeansḱer-to caw, crow

via English Winter

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishWinterA placename
2Middle Englishwinterwinter
3Old Englishwinterwinter; year
4Proto-West Germanicwintruwinter
5Proto-Germanicwintruzwinter
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sḱer- →Every word from Proto-Italic *kruks →Every word from Latin crux →