Where does “crystal” come from?

crystal (Middle English) comes from Catalan cristall, from Latin crystallum, from Ancient Greek κρύσταλλος, from Ancient Greek κρύος, from Proto-Indo-European krews- — to form a crust, begin to freeze.

Ancestry of “crystal”, step by step

crystal traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Catalan cristall

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Catalancristallcrystal
2Latincrystalluma crystal; a thing made from crystal; a gem or...
3Ancient Greekκρύσταλλοςice; rock crystal
4Ancient Greekκρύοςcold, chilliness; frost; ice
5Proto-Indo-Europeankrews-to form a crust, begin to freeze

via Old English cristalla

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishcristallacrystal
2Latincrystallus—

via Old French cristal

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchcristalcrystal

Words derived from “crystal”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European krews- →Every word from Ancient Greek κρύος →Every word from Ancient Greek κρύσταλλος →
crystal — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer