*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of croon

The verb is borrowed from Scots croon (“to utter a deep, long-drawn-out sound; to utter a lament, mourn; to sing in a wailing voice, whimper, whine; to mutter or sing in an undertone, hum”) [and other forms], from Middle

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In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

A soft, low-pitched sound; specifically, a soft or sentimental hum, song, or tune. · A continuous hollow low-pitched moan, as of cattle; a bellow. · The low-pitched sound of a large bell.

verb

To hum or sing (a song or tune), or to speak (words), softly in a low pitch or in a sentimental manner; specifically, to sing (a popular song) in a low, mellow voice. · To soothe (a person or an animal) by singing softly. · To hum or sing, or to speak, softly in a low pitch or in a sentimental manner; specifically, to sing a popular song in a low, mellow voice. · To lament, to moan.

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

The verb is borrowed from Scots croon (“to utter a deep, long-drawn-out sound; to utter a lament, mourn; to sing in a wailing voice, whimper, whine; to mutter or sing in an undertone, hum”) [and other forms], from Middle English cronen (“to sing or speak softly, hum, croon”) (croyn (Scotland)) [and other forms], probably from Middle Dutch crônen, krônen (“to groan, moan; to lament”) (modern Dutch kreunen (“to moan”)), or Old High German chrônan, krônen (“to babble, prattle; to chatter”), probably from Proto-West Germanic *kraunijan, from Proto-Indo-European *gerH- (“to cry hoarsely”). The noun is partly: * borrowed from Scots croon (“a lament, wail; mournful song; low murmuring tune; (obsolete) long-drawn-out sound”), from croon (verb): see above; and * derived from the verb. Cognates * Middle Dutch krônen (modern Dutch kreunen (“to groan, moan; to lament”)) * Middle Low German kroenen (“to babble, prattle; to chatter”), kronen (“to growl; to grumble; to scold”) * Old High German chrônan, chrônnan (“to babble, prattle; to chatter”) * Saterland Frisian krȫnen (“to cause to weep”)

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Root classification mention*gerh₂-ine-pro
  • Borrowed-form mentioncroonsco · to utter a deep, long-drawn-out sound; to utter a lament, mourn; to sing in a wailing voice, whimper, whine; to mutter or sing in an undertone, hum
  • Derivation mentioncronenenm · to sing or speak softly, hum, croon
  • Derivation mentioncrônendum
  • Cognate mentionkreunennl · to moan
  • Derivation mentionchrônangoh
  • Derivation mention*kraunijangmw-pro
  • Derivation mention*gerh₂-ine-pro
  • Borrowed-form mentioncroonsco · a lament, wail; mournful song; low murmuring tune; (obsolete) long-drawn-out sound
  • Cognate mentionkrônendum
  • Cognate mentionkreunennl · to groan, moan; to lament
  • Cognate mentionkroenengml · to babble, prattle; to chatter
  • Cognate mentionchrônangoh
  • Cognate mentionkrȫnenstq · to cause to weep

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.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "senseno",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sing"
      },
      "expansion": "verb sense 2.1"
    },
    {
      "name": "listen/core",
      "args": {
        "filename": "Česká státní hymna v G.ogg",
        "description": "A person crooning (verb sense 2.1).",
        "alt": "",
        "play": ""
      },
      "expansion": "A person crooning (verb sense 2.1)."
    },
    {
      "name": "listen",
      "args": {
        "1": "Česká státní hymna v G.ogg",
        "2": "A person crooning (verb sense 2.1)."
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*gerh₂-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "verb"
      },
      "expansion": "verb"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sco",
        "3": "croon",
        "t": "to utter a deep, long-drawn-out sound; to utter a lament, mourn; to sing in a wailing voice, whimper, whine; to mutter or sing in an undertone, hum"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots croon (“to utter a deep, long-drawn-out sound; to utter a lament, mourn; to sing in a wailing voice, whimper, whine; to mutter or sing in an undertone, hum”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "nb...",
      "args": {
        "1": "creen, crone, cruin, crun, crune, krin, krun, krune, kryn",
        "otherforms": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[and other forms]"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "2"
      },
      "expansion": "²"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "cronen",
        "t": "to sing or speak softly, hum, croon"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English cronen (“to sing or speak softly, hum, croon”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "qualifier",
      "args": {
        "1": "Scotland"
      },
      "expansion": "(Scotland)"
    },
    {
      "name": "nb...",
      "args": {
        "1": "croine, croun, croyne",
        "otherforms": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[and other forms]"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dum",
        "3": "crônen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Dutch crônen"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "kreunen",
        "t": "to moan"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch kreunen (“to moan”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "goh",
        "3": "chrônan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German chrônan"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*kraunijan"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *kraunijan"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*gerh₂-",
        "4": "*gerH-",
        "5": "to cry hoarsely"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *gerH- (“to cry hoarsely”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "noun"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sco",
        "3": "croon",
        "t": "a lament, wail; mournful song; low murmuring tune; (obsolete) long-drawn-out sound"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots croon (“a lament, wail; mournful song; low murmuring tune; (obsolete) long-drawn-out sound”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "2"
      },
      "expansion": "²"
    },
    {
      "name": "col-top",
      "args": {
        "1": "2",
        "2": "cog"
      },
      "expansion": "Cognates"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "dum",
        "2": "krônen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Dutch krônen"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "kreunen",
        "t": "to groan, moan; to lament"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch kreunen (“to groan, moan; to lament”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gml",
        "2": "kroenen",
        "t": "to babble, prattle; to chatter"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Low German kroenen (“to babble, prattle; to chatter”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "chrônan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German chrônan"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "stq",
        "2": "krȫnen",
        "t": "to cause to weep"
      },
      "expansion": "Saterland Frisian krȫnen (“to cause to weep”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "croon",
      "croon#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "cronen",
      "cronen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "croyn",
      "croyn#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "crônen",
      "cronen#Middle_Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "krônen",
      "kronen#Middle_Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "kreunen",
      "kreunen#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "chrônan",
      "chronan#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "krônen",
      "kronen#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "*kraunijan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/kraunijan"
    ],
    [
      "*gerH-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/gerh₂-"
    ],
    [
      "croon",
      "croon#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "croon",
      "croon#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "krônen",
      "kronen#Middle_Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "kreunen",
      "kreunen#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "kroenen",
      "kroenen#Middle_Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "kronen",
      "kronen#Middle_Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "chrônan",
      "chronan#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "chrônnan",
      "chronnan#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "krȫnen",
      "krȫnen#Saterland_Frisian"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A soft, low-pitched sound; specifically, a soft or sentimental hum, song, or tune.",
        "A continuous hollow low-pitched moan, as of cattle; a bellow.",
        "The low-pitched sound of a large bell."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Northern-England",
        "Scotland"
      ],
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    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To hum or sing (a song or tune), or to speak (words), softly in a low pitch or in a sentimental manner; specifically, to sing (a popular song) in a low, mellow voice.",
        "To soothe (a person or an animal) by singing softly.",
        "To hum or sing, or to speak, softly in a low pitch or in a sentimental manner; specifically, to sing a popular song in a low, mellow voice.",
        "To lament, to moan."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "intransitive",
        "Northern-England",
        "Scotland"
      ],
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  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 2,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

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 croon →

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-Y3Jvb24