Where does “crucifix” come from?
crucifix (Middle Dutch) comes from Latin crucifixus, from Latin crucifigo, from Latin crux, from Proto-Italic *kruks, from Proto-Indo-European sḱer- — to caw, crow.
Ancestry of “crucifix”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | crucifixus | crucified |
| 2 | Latin | crucifigo | I crucify, fix on a cross |
| 3 | Latin | crux | wooden frame on which criminals were crucified,... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | *kruks | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |