Etymology

croft

C3R1O1F4T1

Today it means: An enclosed piece of land, usually small and arable and used for small-scale food production, and often with a dwelling next to it; in particular, such a piece of land rented to a farmer (a crofter), especially in Scotland, together with a right to use separate pastureland shared by other crofters. Full definition →

Middle English croft ← Old English croft ← Proto-Germanic *kruftaz
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croft · noun, verb1

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*grewb-“to bend; arch, crook, curve”
  2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*kruftaz“a hill; a curve”
  3. Old English · inherited fromcroft“enclosed field”
  4. Middle English · inherited fromcroft
  5. English todaycroft

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.

croft · noun2

  1. Ancient Greek · derived fromκρυπτή
  2. Latin · derived fromcrupta
  3. Old English · inherited fromcruft
  4. Middle English · inherited fromcroft
  5. English todaycroft

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.

croft · noun3

A variant of carafe.

Croft · proper noun4

  1. Old English · derived fromcræft“device”
  2. English todayCroft

* 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.

Words from the same roots

Old Englishcroft all →

CroftonScowcroft

Proto-Germanic*kruftaz all →

Krog

Proto-Indo-European*grewb- all →

cropcroupKrog

Old Englishcræft all →

craft

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.