Etymologically
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crony

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈkɹəʊni/ (UK); /ˈkɹoʊni/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It began as student slang, probably at Cambridge,[2][3][4] and is perhaps based on Ancient Greek χρόνιος (khrónios, “long-lasting”), from khrónos “time”,[5][6][3][2] in the sense of an old friend or a contemporary.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

An intimate friend or associate, spelled chrony (1660s).[7][3][2]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept its basic meaning of a close friend of long standing.[5][6] Wiktionary records a later sense of a trusted partner in a criminal organization,[1] and the derivative cronyism carries a similar suggestion of favouritism.[1]

Timeline

  • 1656 – first date given by Merriam-Webster.[6]
  • 1663 – attributive use.[7]
  • 1665 – chrony, an intimate friend.[7][3]
  • 1826 – verb, to associate as cronies.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A close friend or companion, especially of long standing.
  2. A trusted associate in a criminal organization.

Word family

  • cronyism

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  5. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  6. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press