Etymograph

English

cruciform

Cruciform comes from Latin crux ‘cross’, and goes back to Proto-Italic *kruks.

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kruks1reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcrux2‘cross’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 2005cruciform2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin crux, which cites Pokorny
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English cruciform
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2005, New Scientist: “Michael Eaton has discovered that if you visit its…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kruksWiktionary, Latin crux, which cites Pokornyreconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcruxWiktionary, English cruciform‘cross’
  3. Englishearliest quotation 2005cruciformWiktionary, English cruciform. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2005, New Scientist: “Michael Eaton has discovered that if you visit its…”

Linked words

through Latin crux ‘cross’

across, cross, cruise, crusade, crouch, crux, excruciating, 8 more

Today it means

adj Having the shape of a cross.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “cruciform”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin crux. 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-Italic *kruks / cruciform

Shirt and support for this word