Proto-Indo-European

*krey-

‘to sift, separate’

Every word has its own definition in its root. These English words share one: Proto-Indo-European *krey-.

73 English words in this record descend from Proto-Indo-European *krey-, most familiar first.

• certain ← certeyn ← *certānus ← certus ← *kritos
• certainly ← certeynly ← certeyn ← certain ← *certānus
• secretary ← secrētus ← secernere ← cernō ← *krinō
• secret ← sēcrētum
• crime ← cryme ← crīmen ← *kreimən ← *kréymn̥
• criminal ← cryminal ← criminalis ← crimen ← *kreimən
• crisis ← κρίσις ← κρίνω
• discrimination ← discriminatio ← discrīminō ← discrīmen ← discernō
• critic ← critique ← criticus ← κριτικός ← κρίνω
• discretion ← discrecioun ← discrētiō ← discerno ← cernō
• critique ← critica ← criticus ← κριτικός ← κρῐτής
• certainty ← certeynte ← certeinte ← certeinete ← *certānitās

More words from *krey-

• criticize
• discrete
• discriminate
• criterion
• riddle
• discreet
• hypocrite
• ascertain
• discern
• secretion
• endocrine
• criminality
• discernible
• excrement
• discernment
• secrete
• excretion
• incriminate
• rime
• incrimination
• excrete
• ridder
• recrimination
• criterium
• certitude
• kritik
• apocrine
• diacritic
• crimen
• rine
• creen
• cribriform
• secretaire
• certes
• criminy
• apocrisis
• atrine
• certitudinal
• certitudinous
• crimination
• cribellum
• criminate
• criminous
• cribrous
• cribrate
• cribration
• creener
• decretory
• decertation
• discrimen
• discriminous
• diacrisis
• eccritic
• epicrisis
• excern
• excretum
• juxtacrine
• merocrine
• recriminate
• secern
• secernate
• concert

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *krey-