cross

cross · noun, adjective, preposition, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)ker-der.?
2. Proto-Italic*kruks /*krukis
3. Latincrux
4. Old Irishcros
5. Old Norsekross
6. Old Englishcros
7. Middle Englishcross
8. English todaycross

From Middle English cross, cros, from Old English cros (“rood, cross”), from Old Norse kross, from Old Irish cros, from Latin crux (crucī). In this sense displaced native Middle English rode, from Old English rōd (“cross”); see English rood. Doublet of crouch (“cross”) and crux. Compare Welsh croes, Irish crois. The sense of "two intersecting lines drawn or cut on a surface; two lines intersecting at right angles" without regard to religious signification develops from the late 14th century. Cognates *Icelandic kross (“cross”) *Faroese krossur (“cross”) *Norwegian Nynorsk kross, kors (“cross”) *Danish kors (“cross”) *Swedish kors (“cross”) *North Frisian kross, korss (“cross”) *Saterland Frisian Krjuus, Kjus (“cross”) *West Frisian krús (“cross”) *Dutch kruis (“cross”) *German Low German Krüüz (“cross”) *German Kreuz (“cross”)

Cross · proper noun, proper noun²

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromκρωσσός“pitcher, pail, urn”
2. Middle Low German · derived fromkrus“pitcher, vessel”
3. English todayCross

* As an English surname, from the noun cross, as in crossroads. Also a calque of this word in various European languages, such as French Lacroix, German Kreutz, Serbo-Croatian Križ. Compare Crouch, Crozier, Kriz. * As an Irish surname, shortened from McCrossen. * As a German surname, Americanized from Kross, from Middle Low German krus (“pitcher, vessel”), which is possibly an old Germanic borrowing of Ancient Greek κρωσσός (krōssós, “pitcher, pail, urn”). Also a variant of Kress.

Words from the same roots