Etymology

crosstree

C3R1O1S1S1T1R1E1E1

Today it means: A timber or metal beam fixed athwartships part way up a mast to spread the rigging. Full definition →

English tree ← Middle English tre ← Old English trēow
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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. Englishcross
  9. Proto-Indo-European*dóru
  10. Proto-Germanic*trewą
  11. Proto-West Germanic*treu
  12. Old Englishtrēow
  13. Middle Englishtre
  14. Englishtree
  15. English todaycrosstree

From cross + tree.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.