Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “crakken” come from?

crakken (Middle English) comes from Old English cracian, from Old Dutch krakōn, from Proto-Indo-European gerg-, from Proto-Indo-European ger- — to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

Ancestry of “crakken”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishcracianto resound; to crack
2Old Dutchkrakōnto crack, creak, emit a cry
3Proto-Indo-Europeangerg-to shout; tracery, basket, twist; wicker, bend
4Proto-Indo-Europeanger-to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

Words derived from “crakken”

  • crack
  • cracker
  • firecracker
  • nutcracker
  • crackpot
  • wisecrack
  • cracksman
  • crackerjack
  • crackhead
  • hydrocracking
  • croquette
  • microcrack
  • crackbrained
  • safecracker
  • uncrackable
  • wisecracker
  • macrocrack
  • crackhouse
  • whipcrack
  • crackable
  • cracklike
  • crackbrain
  • cracka
  • crackest
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ger- →