encroach

The story

1. Old French · derived fromen-
2. Old French · derived fromencrochier“to seize”
3. Middle English · inherited fromencrochen
4. English todayencroach

From Middle English encrochen, from Old French encrochier (“to seize”), from Old French en- + croc (“hook”), of Germanic origin. More at crook.

Words from the same roots