cranny

cranny · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Celtic · derived from*krīnos“decayed, withered”
2. Vulgar Latin · derived from*crinō“split, break”
3. Medieval Latin · derived fromcrenō“split”
4. Old French · derived fromcran
5. Middle English · inherited fromcrany
6. English todaycranny

From Middle English crany, crani (“cranny”), apparently a diminutive of *cran (+ -y), from Old French cran, cren (“notch, fissure”), a derivative of crener (“to notch, split”), from Medieval Latin crenō (“split”, verb), from Vulgar Latin *crinō (“split, break”, verb), of obscure origin; according to Watkins, of Gaulish origin, from Proto-Celtic *krīnos (“decayed, withered”). Despite a spurious use in Pliny, connection to Latin crēna (“notch, incision”) is doubtful. Instead, probably of Germanic or Celtic origin. Compare Old High German chrinna (“notch, groove, crevice”), Alemannic German Krinne (“small crack, channel, groove”), Low German karn (“notch, groove, crevice, cranny”), Old Irish ara-chrinin (“to perish, decay”).

cranny · noun²

Borrowed from Hindustani किरानी (kirānī) / کِرانِی (kirānī).

Words from the same roots