English
crystallurgy
Crystallurgy comes from Ancient Greek κρύσταλλος ‘ice, crystal’, from κρύος ‘cold’, and perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *krews- ‘to freeze, harden’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*krews-1‘to freeze, harden’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκρύος2krúos‘cold’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκρύσταλλος3krústallos‘ice, crystal’
- Englishtodaycrystallurgy3
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek κρύος, which cites Beekes
- 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek κρύσταλλος, which cites Beekes
- 3 Wiktionary, English crystallurgy
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*krews-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek κρύος, which cites Beekes‘to freeze, harden’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκρύοςWiktionary, Ancient Greek κρύσταλλος, which cites Beekeskrúos‘cold’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκρύσταλλοςWiktionary, English crystallurgykrústallos‘ice, crystal’
- EnglishtodaycrystallurgyWiktionary, English crystallurgy
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *krews- ‘to freeze, harden’
through Ancient Greek κρύος ‘cold’
Today it means
noun crystallization
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “crystallurgy”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek κρύος, Ancient Greek κρύσταλλος. 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 *krews- / crystallurgy