Etymology

cross-examination

Today it means: The interrogation or questioning of a witness by the party against whom they have been called and examined, in an attempt to prove or reveal something false or untold during direct examination. Full definition →

English examination ← Middle English cros- ← Old English cros
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

  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. Middle Englishcros-
  9. Englishcross-
  10. Englishexamination
  11. English todaycross-examination

From cross- + examination.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.