Etymograph

English

chancre

Chancre comes from French chancre ‘cancer’, from Latin cancer ‘crab’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- ‘to turn, bend’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker-1‘to turn, bend’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kr-kr-1‘circular’reconstructedreduplication of *(s)ker-
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*karkros1‘enclosure’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kankros1‘enclosure, fence’reconstructeddissimilation of *karkros
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcancer2‘crab’
  6. Frenchc. 1600–presentchancre2‘cancer’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1942chancre2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin cancer
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English chancre
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1942, Albert Camus, Joseph Laredo translation: “The nurse stood up and went towards the door.…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker-Wiktionary, Latin cancer‘to turn, bend’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kr-kr-Wiktionary, Latin cancer‘circular’reconstructedreduplication of *(s)ker-
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*karkrosWiktionary, Latin cancer‘enclosure’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kankrosWiktionary, Latin cancer‘enclosure, fence’reconstructeddissimilation of *karkros
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcancerWiktionary, English chancre‘crab’
  6. Frenchc. 1600–presentchancreWiktionary, English chancre‘cancer’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1942chancreWiktionary, English chancre. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1942, Albert Camus, Joseph Laredo translation: “The nurse stood up and went towards the door.…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- ‘to turn, bend’

short, card, across, cross, share, shirt, score, circle, circuit, screen, curve, crucial, circus, circulation, skirt, carnival, scare, curb, scar, shrine, circa, scrutiny, corona, shear, scorpion, carnage, incarceration, raffle, circulate, crest, carcinoma, corolla, scorn, shred, carnal, cirque, shrewd, circulatory, carnivorous, corgi, 114 more

through Proto-Italic *kankros ‘enclosure, fence’

cancerous, 6 more

through Latin cancer ‘crab’

cancer, cancellation, canker, 7 more

Today it means

noun Skin lesion, sometimes associated with certain contagious diseases such as syphilis.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “chancre”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin cancer. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- / chancre

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