English word origin

Etymology of -craft

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

suffix

A skill of a particular kind.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *krafjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *kraftuz Proto-West Germanic *kraftu Old English cræft Old English -cræft Middle English -craft English -craft From Middle English -craft, -creft, from Old English -cræft (“art or skill in”), from cræft (“art, skill”). More at craft.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mention-craftenm
Inherited-form mention-cræftang · art or skill in

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:-craft<ety:inh<ang:-cræft>>",
        "id": "skill",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Germanic *krafjaną\nProto-Indo-European *-tus\nProto-Germanic *-þuz\nProto-Germanic *kraftuz\nProto-West Germanic *kraftu\nOld English cræft\nOld English -cræft\nMiddle English -craft\nEnglish -craft\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-þuz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*kraftuz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*kraftu\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"cræft\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-cræft\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-craft\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-craft\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"skill\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"-craft\" id=\"English:_skill\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-craft"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English -craft"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-cræft",
        "t": "art or skill in"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English -cræft (“art or skill in”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:-craft<ety:inh<ang:-cræft>>",
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      },
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    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*krafjaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/krafjaną"
    ],
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      "*-tus",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-tus#Proto-Indo-European:_action_noun"
    ],
    [
      "*-þuz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-þuz"
    ],
    [
      "*kraftuz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/kraftuz"
    ],
    [
      "*kraftu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/kraftu"
    ],
    [
      "cræft",
      "cræft#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "-cræft",
      "-cræft#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "-craft",
      "-craft#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-craft",
      "-craft#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "-creft",
      "-creft#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "-cræft#Old_English"
    ],
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      "cræft#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "craft",
      "craft#English"
    ]
  ],
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  "lexical": [
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        "A skill of a particular kind."
      ],
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        "uncountable",
        "usually"
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

suffix

A vehicle of a particular type.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *krafjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *kraftuz Proto-West Germanic *kraftu Old English cræft Middle English craft English craft English -craft From craft (“vehicle, vessel”).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "craft<t:vehicle, vessel>",
        "id": "vehicle",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "+"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Germanic *krafjaną\nProto-Indo-European *-tus\nProto-Germanic *-þuz\nProto-Germanic *kraftuz\nProto-West Germanic *kraftu\nOld English cræft\nMiddle English craft\nEnglish craft\nEnglish -craft\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-þuz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*kraftuz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*kraftu\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"cræft\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"craft\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"craft\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-craft\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"vehicle\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"-craft\" id=\"English:_vehicle\">\nFrom craft (“vehicle, vessel”)."
    },
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      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "craft<t:vehicle, vessel>",
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        "tree": "1",
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      },
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    }
  ],
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/krafjaną"
    ],
    [
      "*-tus",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-tus#Proto-Indo-European:_action_noun"
    ],
    [
      "*-þuz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-þuz"
    ],
    [
      "*kraftuz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/kraftuz"
    ],
    [
      "*kraftu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/kraftu"
    ],
    [
      "cræft",
      "cræft#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "craft",
      "craft#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "craft",
      "craft#English"
    ],
    [
      "craft",
      "craft#English"
    ]
  ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

suffix

A Minecraft mod or server with a particular theme.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Back-formation from Minecraft; ultimately from etymology 1 above.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bf",
        "3": "Minecraft",
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for -craft →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-LWNyYWZ0