*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of crane

From Middle English crane, from Old English cran (“crane”), from Proto-West Germanic *kran, *kranō, from Proto-Germanic *kranô (“crane”), from Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- (“to cry hoarsely”). Cognate with Scots cran (“cr

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 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To extend (one's neck). · To raise or lower with, or as if with, a crane. · To pull up before a jump.

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

From Middle English crane, from Old English cran (“crane”), from Proto-West Germanic *kran, *kranō, from Proto-Germanic *kranô (“crane”), from Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- (“to cry hoarsely”). Cognate with Scots cran (“crane”), Dutch kraan (“crane”), German Low German Kroon (“crane”), German Kran (“crane”). The mechanical devices are named from their likeness to the bird.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentioncraneenm
  • Inherited-form mentioncranang · crane
  • Inherited-form mention*krangmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*kranôgem-pro · crane
  • Derivation mention*gerh₂-ine-pro · to cry hoarsely
  • Cognate mentioncransco · crane
  • Cognate mentionkraannl · crane
  • Cognate mentionKrande · crane
Inspect preserved source fields

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

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    },
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    },
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    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "kraan",
        "t": "crane"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch kraan (“crane”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds-de",
        "2": "Kroon",
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      },
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    },
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        "2": "Kran",
        "t": "crane"
      },
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    }
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    ],
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    ],
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      "cran",
      "cran#Scots"
    ],
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      "kraan",
      "kraan#Dutch"
    ],
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      "Kroon#Low_German"
    ],
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      "Kran#German"
    ]
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        "To extend (one's neck).",
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        "To pull up before a jump."
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Source etymology 1 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

Any bird of the family Gruidae, large birds with long legs and a long neck which is extended during flight. · Ardea herodias, the great blue heron. · A mechanical lifting machine or device, often used for lifting heavy loads for industrial or construction purposes. · An iron arm with horizontal motion, attached to the side or back of a fireplace for supporting kettles etc. over the fire.

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

From Middle English crane, from Old English cran (“crane”), from Proto-West Germanic *kran, *kranō, from Proto-Germanic *kranô (“crane”), from Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- (“to cry hoarsely”). Cognate with Scots cran (“crane”), Dutch kraan (“crane”), German Low German Kroon (“crane”), German Kran (“crane”). The mechanical devices are named from their likeness to the bird.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentioncraneenm
  • Inherited-form mentioncranang · crane
  • Inherited-form mention*krangmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*kranôgem-pro · crane
  • Derivation mention*gerh₂-ine-pro · to cry hoarsely
  • Cognate mentioncransco · crane
  • Cognate mentionkraannl · crane
  • Cognate mentionKrande · crane

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "lang": "Burmese",
      "lang_code": "my",
      "word": "ကရိန်း",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "ka.rin:"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Hindi",
      "lang_code": "hi",
      "word": "क्रेन",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "kren"
    },
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      "lang": "Irish",
      "lang_code": "ga",
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        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "lang_code": "ja",
      "word": "クレーン",
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        "borrowed"
      ],
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    },
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      "lang_code": "ko",
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      "lang_code": "ms",
      "word": "kren",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
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      "lang_code": "mi",
      "word": "kareni",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
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    },
    {
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "lang_code": "tl",
      "word": "kreyn",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Thai",
      "lang_code": "th",
      "word": "เครน",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
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      "roman": "kreen"
    }
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

The cranium.

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

From Middle English crane, cranee, from Old French cran, from Medieval Latin crānium.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentioncraneenm
  • Derivation mentioncranfro
Inspect preserved source fields

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

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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.

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Contribute located evidence for crane →

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
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Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-Y3JhbmU