MarcusBennevall/EtymologyTaggerDataset huggingface dataset:
sitting
From Middle English sittyng, sittynge, equivalent to sit + -ing. Cognate with Dutch zitting (“a sitting, session”), German Sitzung (“a sitting, session”), Swedish sittning (“a sitting, session”).
From Middle English sittinge, sittynge, variant of sittinde, sittende, sittande, from Old English sittende (“sitting”), from Proto-Germanic *sitjandz (“sitting”), present participle of Proto-Germanic *sitjaną (“to sit”), equivalent to sit + -ing. Cognate with West Frisian sittend (“sitting”), Dutch zittend (“sitting”), German sitzend (“sitting”), Swedish sittande (“sitting”), Icelandic sitjandi (“sitting”).
Arnold
From a French version of a Germanic name, from Proto-Germanic *arô (“eagle”) + *waldą (“power”). For the first part of the word doublet of erne, ornis, and ornitho-.
Compare the Latin male given name and cognomen Aquila, and female given name Aquilīna (whence Russian Акули́на (Akulína)), related to aquila (whence eagle).
catafalque
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *ḱe
Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm
Proto-Indo-European *ḱm̥-th₂der.?
Proto-Hellenic *kətá
Ancient Greek κᾰτᾰ́ (kătắ)
Etruscan 𐌚𐌀𐌋𐌀 (fala)bor.
Latin fala
Vulgar Latin [Term?]?
Italian catafalcobor.
French catafalquebor.
English catafalque
Borrowed from French catafalque, from Italian catafalco, from Vulgar Latin *catafalicum, from Ancient Greek κατά (katá, “down”) + Latin fala (“scaffolding, wooden siege tower”), which is from Etruscan. Also influenced scaffold.
Dennis
From Middle English Denis, from Old French saint's name Denis, brought to England by Normans; from Latin Dionysius, a masculine name literally meaning “follower of (the wine god) Dionysus”.
Ernest
Borrowed in the 18th century from Ernst, a medieval royal name in Germany, from Old High German ernust (“vigor, strife”), only remotely related to modern German ernst or English earnest.
Raymond
From Old French Raimund, from Frankish *Raginmund, from Proto-Germanic *Raginamunduz, composed of *raginą (“advice”) + *mundō (“protection”). Compare the first element in Reginald, Reynold, Ronald; the second element can be found in cognates Edmund, Sigmund, Osmond.
Maria
From Latin Maria, from Ancient Greek Μαρία (María), Μαριάμ (Mariám), from Aramaic מרים (Maryām), corresponding to the Hebrew מרים (Miryām). Doublet of Mary, Marie, and Miriam.
Ferdinand
From Spanish Ferdinando, from Proto-Germanic *fardiz (“journey”) + *nanþaz (“daring”) (from the root of *ninþaną (“to be daring”)).
* (Uranus): The moon is named after a character in Shakespeare's The Tempest.
* (Philippines): Named after Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos
Julius
Borrowed from Latin Iūlius, of uncertain origin, possibly from Ancient Greek ἴουλος (íoulos, “downy first beard hairs”), i.e. the young, or from Latin Jovilius (“devoted to Jove”). Doublet of Jules.
Kenneth
Anglicized form of two Goidelic names, Old Irish Cináed, the name of Scottish kings derived from Pictish *ᚉᚔᚅᚔᚑᚇ (Ciniod), and the saint's name Cainnech (literally “handsome”) (modern Scottish Gaelic Coinneach), as in the surname Mackenzie.
Ludwig
Borrowed from German Ludwig, which see for more information. Doublet of Louis etc.
liquefy
From Middle English liquefien, from Anglo-Norman liquefier, from Latin liquefacere.
antagonism
From Ancient Greek ἀνταγωνιστής (antagōnistḗs, “opponent”), from ἀνταγωνίζομαι (antagōnízomai, “antagonize”), from ἀγών (agṓn, “contest”) (English agon).
ill will
From Middle English ill will, il wille, ill wille, equivalent to ill + will.
satisfactory
Borrowed from Middle French satisfactoire, from Late Latin satisfactōrius, from Latin satisfactus, past participle of satisfaciō.
petrous
From Middle English, borrowed from Middle French petreux, from Latin petrōsus, from petra, from Ancient Greek πέτρα (pétra).
hummus
Borrowed from Arabic حُمُّص (ḥummuṣ).
Montenegro
Borrowed from Venetan Montenegro (from mónte + negro, literally “black mountain”), a calque of Serbo-Croatian Cȓnā Gòra, referring to Mount Lovćen.
Vojvodina
From Serbo-Croatian Vojvodina/Војводина.
by heart
From Middle English by herte. Compare French par cœur (literally “by heart”), of which the English may be a calque.
squeamish
Origin obscure. Likely a merger of earlier squeamous (“squeamish”), from Middle English squaimous, queimous, from Anglo-Norman escoimus, escoymous, of unknown origin; and dialectal English sweamish, sweemish (“faint, squeamish”), from sweam (“dizziness, sudden qualm of sickness”) and dialectal sweem (“to swoon, be faint, be overcome, feel sick”), from Middle English swemen (“to grieve, make suffer, be faint of heart”), from Old English *swǣman (“to grieve, trouble, afflict”). If so, then related to swim (“to be dizzy, swoon”). See also sweam.
pitfall
First recorded use in the 14th century from pit + fall in the sense of "pit trap, pit snare", from Old English fealle (“trap, snare”), from Proto-Germanic *fallą, *fallaz (“a fall, trap”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pōl-. Cognate with German Falle (“trap, snare”).
placid
Etymology tree
Latin placeō
Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-der.
Proto-Italic *-iðos
Latin -idus
Latin placiduslbor.
French placide
English placid
Borrowed from French placide, from Latin placidus (“peaceful, calm, placid”), from placeō (“please, satisfy”).
lipa
Borrowed from Serbo-Croatian lipa (“linden/lime tree”), named for its design of linden flowers and leaves.
Borrowed from Polish and Albanian Lipa.
Borrowed from Tagalog Lipa, from lipa.
aerostat
Borrowed from French aérostat, from Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aḗr, “air”) + στατός (statós, “stable”), equivalent to aero- + -stat.
tether
From Middle English tether, teder, from Old English *tēoder and/or Old Norse tjóðr ( > Danish tøjr, Swedish tjuder); both from Proto-Germanic *teudrą (“rope; cord; shaft”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *dewtro-, from Proto-Indo-European *dew- (“to tie”), or from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull”). Cognate with North German Tüder (“tether for binding the cattle”), Swedish tjuder (“tether for binding cattle”).
pewter
From Middle English peutre, from Old French peautre, from Vulgar Latin *peltrum (“pewter”), which is of uncertain origin. Possibly related to spelter.
ferrule
From Middle English verel, virel, virole (“ferrule; metal pivot on the end of an axle”), altered under the influence of Latin ferrum (“iron”), from Old French virole (“ferrule”), from Latin viriola (“little bracelet”), diminutive of viria (“bracelet worn by men”), from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *weiros (“crooked”) (compare Middle Irish fiar (“bent, crooked”), Welsh gŵyr, Breton gwar (“curved”)), from Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁ros (“threaded, turned, twisted”), from *weyh₁- (“to turn, twist, weave”).
sorrel
From Middle English sorel, from Old French sorel, surele (“sorrel”), from Old French sur (“sour”), of Germanic origin, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *sūraz (“sour”); equivalent to sour + -el (diminutive suffix). Compare Old English sūre (“sorrel”), Icelandic súra (“sorrel”), Dutch zuring (“dock (plant), sorrel”). More at sour.
From Middle English *sorel, from Middle French *sorel, sorrel, surrel, from Middle French sor (“yellowish-brown, reddish-brown”), probably from Old Frankish *saur (“dried”), from Proto-Germanic *sauzaz (“dry”), from Proto-Indo-European *saus- (“dry, parched”); equivalent to sore (“reddish-brown”) + -el (diminutive suffix). Cognate with Middle Dutch soor (“dry”), Old High German sōrēn (“to become dry”), and Old English sēar (“withered, barren”). See also sere.
tanga
From Portuguese tanga, from Kimbundu tanga or ntanga (“coarse cloth; loincloth”).
ammonium
Etymology tree
New Latin ammōniumbor.
English ammonium
From New Latin ammōnium. Equivalent to ammonia + -ium.
Claude
In use from the 16th century. Borrowed from French Claude, from Latin Claudius, the name of a Roman gens. The clan name is traditionally said to be from Latin claudus (“lame”), but is most likely of Sabine origin.
monument
From Middle English monument, from Old French monument, from Latin monumentum (“memorial, monument, tomb”), from monēre (“to remind”).
negatory
From Medieval Latin negātōrius (possibly via Middle French negatoire), from Latin negātus.
protector
From Middle English protectour, from Anglo-Norman protectour, protector and its etymon Latin prōtēctor, from prōtegō (“shield, protect”). By surface analysis, protect + -or. Displaced native Old English sċildend.
secretarial
From a Latin-type formation *sēcrētāriālis, from Medieval Latin sēcrētārius + Latin -ālis. By surface analysis, secretary + -al.
titian
Named after Titian (Italian Tiziano), the Italian painter who made frequent use of this colour.
From Latin Titiānus (“of or relating to Titus; a male given name”), from Titus + -iānus. By surface analysis, Titus + -ian.
agita
From Italian (southern dialectal pronunciation of) acido (“acid, heartburn”). The non-medical sense, upset of the mind rather than the stomach, developed under the influence of agitation. Doublet of acid.
jubilate
Either a back-formation from jubilation, or borrowed from Latin iūbilātus, perfect passive participle of iubilō (“to shout for joy”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin jūbilāte (“rejoice!, shout ye!”), second-person plural present active imperative of jūbilō, the first word of the psalm in Latin.
hallucinate
First attested in 1604; borrowed from Latin hallūcinātus, alternative form of alūcinātus, perfect active participle of alucinor (“to dream”); see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
affricate
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd
Proto-Italic *ad
Proto-Italic *ad-
Latin ad-
Proto-Indo-European *bʰreyH-
Proto-Indo-European *bʰriH-o-s
Proto-Italic *frios
Proto-Italic *friāō
Latin friō
Latin fricō
Latin affricō
Latin affricātusbor.
English affricate
From Latin affricātus.
denier
Borrowed from French denier, from Latin dēnārius. Doublet of denar, denarius, dinar, diner, dinero, and dinheiro.
wheaten
From Middle English wheten, from Old English hwǣten (“wheaten”); equivalent to wheat + -en.
hospitality
From Middle English hospitalite, from Old French hospitalité (modern French hospitalité), from Latin hospitālitās (“hospitality”), from hospitālis (“hospitable”), from hospes (“guest", "host”). Displaced native Old English cumlīþnes (literally “guest gentleness”).
tristeza
Borrowed from Portuguese tristeza (“sadness”), referring to the devastation it caused in South America in the 1930s.
collodion
From Medieval Latin collodium, from Ancient Greek κολλώδης (kollṓdēs, “sticky”).
surgical
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰes-
Proto-Indo-European *-ōr
Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰésōr
Proto-Hellenic *kʰéhər
Ancient Greek χείρ (kheír)
Proto-Indo-European *werǵ-
Proto-Indo-European *-om
Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom
Proto-Hellenic *wérgon
Ancient Greek ἔργον (érgon)
Ancient Greek -ουργός (-ourgós)
Ancient Greek χειρουργός (kheirourgós)
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Ancient Greek -κός (-kós)
Ancient Greek -ῐκός (-ĭkós)
Ancient Greek χειρουργῐκός (kheirourgĭkós)bor.
Late Latin chīrurgicus
Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?
Proto-Italic *-ālis
Latin -ālis
Medieval Latin cirurgicālisder.
Middle French cirurgicalbor.
Middle English cirurgicalder.
English surgical
From Middle English cirurgical, borrowed from Middle French cirurgical, from Medieval Latin cirurgicālis, ultimately from Ancient Greek χειρουργία (kheirourgía), from χείρ (kheír, “hand”) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”). Replaced Old English Old English læċe (“doctor, physician”). By surface analysis, surgery + -ical.
dressing
From Middle English dressing, dressinge, dressynge, equivalent to dress + -ing.
From Middle English dressynge, dressande, equivalent to dress + -ing.
lacquer
Borrowed from French lacque (“a sort of sealing wax”), from Portuguese laca, lacca (“gum lac”), from Persian لاک (lâk), from Hindi लाख (lākh), from Sanskrit लाक्षा (lākṣā). Doublet of lac.
Melilla
Etymology tree
Tarifit mliltbor.
Arabic مَلِيلْيَة (malīlya)bor.
Spanish Melillabor.
English Melilla
Borrowed from Spanish Melilla.
amaranthine
Coined by Milton, originally meaning "unfading", as amaranth + -ine, from Ancient Greek ἀμάραντος (amárantos, “unfading”). Later used for color. First attested in the 1660s.
countenance
From Middle English contenaunce, countenaunce, from Anglo-Norman countenance and Old French contenance, from the present participle of contenir, or from Late Latin continentia, and therefore a doublet of continence.
sorcerer
From Middle English sorcerere, from stem sorcer- (as in sorceresse and sorcery) + -ere, from Old French sorcer, sorcier, from Early Medieval Latin sortiārius, derived from Latin sortem (“fate, fortune”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind”).
Rohingya
Borrowed from Rohingya ruáingga, from Rohingya Rohang + ya (“the people of Rohing”). Rohang is the old kingdom name of Arakan in present-day Myanmar (formerly known as Burma).
badam
Borrowed from Hindustani बादाम (bādām) / بادام (bādām) and other South Asian languages, from Classical Persian بادام (bādām), from Middle Persian wʾtʾm (wādām).
soda
Etymology tree
Arabic سُوَيْدَاء (suwaydāʔ)bor.
Italian sodabor.
English soda
From Italian soda. Sense 4 is an ellipsis of soda water.
Borrowed from Japanese 宗田 (sōda).
clothe
From Middle English clothen, from Old English *clāþian (“to clothe”), from Proto-Germanic *klaiþōną (“to clothe”), from Proto-Indo-European *gley- (“to adhere to, stick”). Cognate with Dutch kleden, German kleiden, Swedish kläda, after apocope klä. See also cloth, clad.
Shane
Anglicized form of the Northern Irish pronunciation of Irish Seán, from Old French Jehan, from Latin Johannes, variant of Ioannes, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yōḥānān, literally “God is gracious”).
Doublet of John, Jack, Johan, Johann, Johannes, Jean, Ian, Evan, Ivan, Sean, Shaun, and Giovanni as a male name.
Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena as a female name.
elector
From Middle English electour (“one with a right to vote in electing some office, elector”), borrowed from Late Latin ēlēctor (“chooser, selector; voter, elector”), from Latin ēligere (“to elect”) + -tor (suffix forming masculine agent nouns), equivalent to elect + -or. Ēligere is the present active infinitive of ēligō (“to extract, pluck or root out; (figurative) to choose, elect, pick out”), from ē- (variant of ex- (prefix meaning ‘away; out’)) + legō (“to appoint, choose, select”) (from Proto-Italic *legō (“to gather, collect”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to collect, gather”)).
antipope
From Middle French antipape (later assimilated to anti- + pope), from Medieval Latin antipāpa.
blare
The verb is derived from Late Middle English blaren, bleren, bloren (“to bellow, cry, wail; of a goat: to bleat”), probably from Old English *blǣran, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁- (“to bleat, cry”) and ultimately imitative. Related to Middle Dutch blaren, bleren (“to bawl, cry; to shout; to bleat”) (modern Dutch blèren).
The noun is derived from the verb.
Cognates
German Low German blaren, blarren
Middle High German blêren, blerren (modern German plärren)
Saterland Frisian blärje
West Frisian blearje
tangi
Borrowed from Māori tangi (“lament, mourning, funeral ceremony”).
phallus
From Latin phallus (“membrum virile, phallus, or a figure thereof”) from Ancient Greek φαλλός (phallós).
nimble
From Middle English nymyl, nemel, nemyll, nymell (“agile, quick, ready, able, capable”), merger of Old English nǣmel (“receptive, quick to grasp”) and Old English numol (“able to take, capable of holding”), both from niman (“to take”) + -el, -ol (associative suffix), corresponding to nim + -le. Compare German nehmen, Gothic 𐌽𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (niman), Old Norse nema (“to take”). More at nim.
macerate
First attested in 1534; borrowed from Latin mācerātus, perfect passive participle of mācerō (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3)), from Proto-Indo-European *mag-, *mak- (“to knead”), whence make. Cognate with French macérer.
immersion
From late Middle English, borrowed from Late Latin immersiō, immersiōnem (“dipping”).
Allison
From a Middle English diminutive form of Alan, Alexander or Alice + -son.
exceed
From Middle English exceden, from Old French exceder, from Latin excēdō (“to go beyond”), from ex- (“out, forth”) with cēdō (“to go”); see cede and compare accede etc. Partly displaced native Old English ofersteppan, whence Modern English overstep.
timidity
From timid + -ity, from Middle French timidité, from Latin timiditātem.
circus
From Middle English circus, circo, from Latin circus (“ring, circle”), from Ancient Greek κρίκος (kríkos), κίρκος (kírkos, “ring”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to bend, turn”). Doublet of cirque. Cognate with Old English hring (whence English ring) and Old English hringsetl (“circus”, literally “ring-seat”).
sweetheart
From Middle English swete heorte, swete hert (term of endearment); equivalent to sweet + heart.
relativity
From relative (“connected to or depending on something else”) + -ity (suffix forming nouns from adjectives where the nouns refer to the properties, qualities, or states described by the adjectives). Sense 2.1 (“reliance of the nature of physical phenomena on the relative motion between an observer and the thing observed”) is a translation of German Relativität (“relativity”) used in the works of the German-American theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (1879–1955).
Morphologically relative + -ity.
als
From Middle English als, variant of alse, alsa, also, from Old English eallswā, from Proto-West Germanic *allswā. More at also.
preliminary
Borrowed from New Latin praelīmināris, formed from prae- (“before”) + līmen (“threshold”) + -āris (adjectival suffix); compare Latin līmināris (“of or belonging to a threshold”). Compare French préliminaire.
dirige
From Middle English, from Latin dīrige (“guide”, imperative), from the beginning of the first antiphon in matins for the dead: Dīrige, Domine, Deus meus, in cōnspectū tuō viam meam (“Guide, O Lord my God, my way by your sight”). Doublet of dirge.
measurable
From Old French mesurable, equivalent to measure + -able. Doublet of mensurable.
manipulation
From French manipulation, from Old French manipule, from Latin manipulus. Morphologically manipulate + -ion.
brill
Possibly from Cornish brilli (“mackerel”), from brithelli, plural of brithel (“mackerel”), from brith (“spotted”), from Proto-Brythonic *briθ.
* As an English surname, from Brill in Buckinghamshire, said to be from Proto-Brythonic *breɣ (“hill”) + Old English hyll (“hill”).
* As a Dutch and north German surname, from Middle Low German brul (“low wetland”). Compare the variant Bruehl.
* Also as a German surname, from the noun Brille (“eyeglasses”).
* As a Jewish surname, from a Hebrew acronym of בן רבי (ben rabi, “son of rabbi”) followed by a Yiddish personal name, such as "Ben Rabbi Yehuda Levi".
accumulatio
Borrowed from Latin accumulātiō (“the act of heaping up”). Doublet of accumulation.
escutcheon
From Middle English scochon, from Anglo-Norman escuchon, Old French escusson (French écusson), ultimately from Latin scutum (“shield”). Related to scutum, scute, scudo, escudo, and écu.
amative
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₃emh₃-
Proto-Indo-European *-ti
Proto-Indo-European *h₃émh₃ti
Proto-Italic *amō
Latin amō
Latin amātus
Medieval Latin amātīvusder.
English amative
From Medieval Latin amātīvus, from Latin amātus, perfect passive participle of amō (“love”).
espousal
From Middle English espousal, espousaille, from Old French espousailles, from Latin sponsalia (“a betrothal”), neuter plural of sponsalis, from spōnsus (“one betrothed, a spouse”); see spouse. By surface analysis, espouse + -al.
espresso
Borrowed from Italian espresso, from caffè espresso (“pressed-out coffee”), form of esprimere (“to press out”), from Latin exprimere, from ex- (“out”) + primere (“to press”).
Some sources derive the term from “expressly (‘individually, directly’) made for the customer”, or as “fast” (Italian espresso also meaning “fast”, as in English express (“fast”)) but these are not widely credited. The original term for modern espresso (coffee extracted under pressure) was cream coffee, from Italian caffè crema (variant: crema caffè), due to the crema, and was seen on early Gaggia machines, but this term is no longer used.
esprit
Borrowed from French esprit (“spirit”). Doublet of spirit, spiritus, spirytus, sprite, and spright, possibly also spree.
escalade
Borrowed from French escalade, from Italian scalata, from scalare (“to climb”), from scala (“ladder”), from Latin scālae (“ladder”). Doublet of scalade.
erysipelas
From Middle English erisipila, borrowed from Latin erysipelas, from Ancient Greek ἐρῠσῐ́πελᾰς (erŭsĭ́pelăs), probably related to ἐρῠθρός (erŭthrós, “red”) and πέλμᾰ (pélmă, “the sole of a foot”).
grand-
From Middle English, probably modelled after use of grand in Middle French (e.g., grandpere); see also grand.
condiment
From late Middle English condiment, from Old French condiment, from Latin condimentum, from condīre (“to preserve, pickle, season”). See also condite and compare recondite.
robbery
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *Hrew-?
Proto-Indo-European *Hrewp-der.
Proto-Germanic *raubōną
Frankish *raubōnbor.
Late Latin raubāre
Old French rober
Proto-Indo-European *-yós
Proto-Italic *-ios
Old Latin -ios
Latin -ius
Latin -ia
Old French -ie
Old French roberiebor.
Middle English robberie
English robbery
From Middle English robberie, robry, roberie, from Old French roberie, from the verb rober (“to steal; to pillage”) + -ie. Ultimately from unattested Frankish *raubōn. By surface analysis, rob + -ery. Compare Dutch roverij (“robbery”), Norwegian Bokmål røveri (“robbery”), German Räuberei (“robbery, banditry”).
Displaced native Old English rēaflāc.
larceny
Coined in Middle English (as larceni) between 1425 and 1475 from Anglo-Norman larcin (“theft”), from Latin latrocinium (“robbery”), from latro (“robber, mercenary”), from Ancient Greek λάτρον (látron, “pay, hire”).
stampede
The noun is derived from Mexican Spanish estampida (“a stampede”), from Spanish estampida, estampido (“a bang, a crack (sound)”), from Old Occitan estampida, from Gothic *𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌼𐍀𐌾𐌰𐌽 (*stampjan), from Proto-Germanic *stampōną (“to compress, squeeze; to stamp”), from Proto-Indo-European *stembʰ- (“to trample down”).
The verb is derived from the noun.
bast
From Middle English bast, from Old English bæst (“bast, inner bark of trees from which ropes were made”), from Proto-West Germanic *bast (compare the Swedish bast, Dutch bast, German Bast), perhaps an alteration of Proto-Indo-European *bʰask-, *bʰasḱ- (“bundle”) (compare Middle Irish basc (“necklace”), Latin fascis (“bundle”), Albanian bashkë (“tied, linked”)).
From Middle English bast, from a back-formation of Middle English bastard.
red gum
Alteration (due to gum) of earlier red gown, reed gounde, from Middle English redgownd, redgound, radegound, radegund, equivalent to red + gound.
croft
The noun is derived from Middle English croft, crofft, croffte, croofte, crofte (“croft”), from Old English croft (“enclosed field”); further etymology uncertain, but possibly from Proto-Germanic *kruftaz (“a hill; a curve”), from Proto-Indo-European *grewb- (“to bend; arch, crook, curve”); see also crop. The English word is cognate with Middle Dutch kroft, krocht, crocht (“high and dry land; a field on the downs”), Middle Low German kroch (“enclosed piece of farmland or pasture”), Scots croft, craft (“croft”).
The verb is derived from the noun.
From Middle English croft, crofte, croufte, crufte (“crypt; vault”), from Old English cruft, from Latin crupta, crypta (“crypt; vault”), from Ancient Greek κρυπτή (kruptḗ), feminine form of κρῠπτός (krŭptós, “concealed, hidden; secret”), from κρύπτω (krúptō, “to conceal, hide; to obscure”) (further etymology unknown) + -ος (-os). The English word is cognate with Middle Dutch croft, crocht, crochte, crogt, cruft, crufte (modern Dutch krocht (“underground cavity, cave; underground vault, crypt”)), Middle Low German krucht, kruft (“crypt”), Old High German cruft (Middle High German kruft (“cave; crypt”)). Doublet of grotto and crypt.
* As an English surname, from the noun croft (“small piece of land”).
* Also as an English surname, variant of Craft.
* As a Danish, Swedish, German and Jewish surname, Americanized from Kraft.
* The place in Leicestershire is from Old English cræft (“device”).
Also compare Kroft.