Etymologically
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cresco

Etymology and origin of the Latin word cresco

History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈkreːs.koː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈkrɛs.ko][1]

Forms

crēscō (present infinitive crēscere, perfect active crēvī, supine crētum); third conjugation, no passive[1]

Etymology

It goes back to Proto-Italic *krē- (“to grow”), from Proto-Indo-European *k(ʷ)reh₁- (“to become bigger, stronger”), with the inchoative suffix -scō.[2][3] The adjective crēber and the participle crētus show that the stem was *krē-, from which the present in -scō and the perfect crēvī were derived.[2] A connection with Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₃- (“to feed”), the root sometimes seen in Cerēs, is tempting but has a problem in the position of the vowel.[2] The verb creāre belongs to the same root.[3][1]

De Vaan compares the Slavic verbs for healing such as Old East Slavic креяти (krejati, “to heal”), from Proto-Slavic *krějǫ.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is attested from Cato onwards,[2] who writes of making a vineyard grow quickly.[3]

Semantic evolution

The verb meant to come into being, and the participle cretus “born of, sprung from” was poetic.[3][4] More often it meant to grow, of plants, animals and children, to increase in size, number or strength, and of rivers to rise and of the moon to wax.[3] With abstract subjects it was used of feelings, rumours and practices that grow, and of people and states that rise in power and wealth.[3][5]

Its compounds decresco and concresco gave English decrease and English concrete, and its present participle is the source of English crescent.[6][1]

Timeline

  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of vines and of oil that cannot increase in storage.[3][7]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of things that come into being.[3][7]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero writes that the enemy's numbers grow daily.[3][7]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses cretus for “born of”.[3][7]
  • early 15th century – Its compound decrescere gives English decrease through French.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To come into being, be born, cretus: born of, sprung from.[3][4]
  2. To grow, develop; to grow up.[3]
  3. To increase in size, swell; of the moon, to wax; of rivers, to rise.[3]
  4. To increase in number or amount, multiply.[3]
  5. To grow stronger (of wind, voice, feelings).[3]
  6. To advance in wealth, power or esteem.[3]
  7. To rise, extend upwards.[3]

Word family

  • accrēscō
  • concrēscō
  • crēmentum
  • crescentia
  • dēcrēscō
  • discresco
  • excrēscō
  • incrēscō
  • prōcrescō
  • recrescō
  • succrēscō
  • supercrēscō
  • crēber
  • Cerēs
  • prōcērus
  • creō
  • English crescent
  • English decrease
  • English increase

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Cresco.” Etymologically, 10 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/cresco. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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