crystal

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*krews-“hard, hard outer surface, crust”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromκρύσταλλος“clear ice”
3. Old French · derived fromcristal
4. Anglo-Norman · derived fromcristall
5. Old English · inherited fromcristalla
6. Middle English · inherited fromcrystal
7. English todaycrystal

From Middle English crystal, cristal, criȝstall, representing a merger of Old English cristalla (from Latin crystallus) and Anglo-Norman cristall, Old French cristal (from Latin crystallum). The Latin is derived from Ancient Greek κρύσταλλος (krústallos, “clear ice”), from κρύος (krúos, “frost”), from Proto-Indo-European *krews- (“hard, hard outer surface, crust”).

Words from the same roots