Etymology

crane

C3R1A1N1E1

Today it means: Any bird of the family Gruidae, large birds with long legs and a long neck which is extended during flight. Full definition →

Middle English crane ← Old English cran ← Proto-West Germanic *kran
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crane · noun, verb1

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*gerh₂-“to cry hoarsely”
  2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*kranô“crane”
  3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*kran
  4. Old English · inherited fromcran“crane”
  5. Middle English · inherited fromcrane
  6. English todaycrane

From Middle English crane, from Old English cran (“crane”), from Proto-West Germanic *kran, *kranō, from Proto-Germanic *kranô (“crane”), from Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- (“to cry hoarsely”). Cognate with Scots cran (“crane”), Dutch kraan (“crane”), German Low German Kroon (“crane”), German Kran (“crane”). The mechanical devices are named from their likeness to the bird.

crane · noun2

  1. Medieval Latin · derived fromcrānium
  2. Old French · derived fromcran
  3. Middle English · inherited fromcrane
  4. English todaycrane

From Middle English crane, cranee, from Old French cran, from Medieval Latin crānium.

Crane · proper noun3

* As an English surname, from the noun crane. * As a Dutch surname, spelling variant of Krane. * As a German surname, adaptation of Krahn and Krahnich.

Words from the same roots

Old Englishcran all →

CranstonCranfieldCranfordCranleighCranmoreCranwellCornforthCranswickCornhill-on-TweedCransford

Proto-Indo-European*gerh₂- all →

creakcrakegrus

Old Frenchcran all →

cranny

Medieval Latincrānium all →

craniumcranio-

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.