crayon

Where does the word "crayon" come from? It comes from Latin creta, passing through Old French and French before entering English (1600s-1700s).

Crayon’s story begins in Latin: creta meant “chalk.” By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as craie. Kept the meaning of chalk. From there it passed into French as crayon by 1600s. A diminutive form for a small stick of chalk or pigment. It reached English by 1600s-1700s as crayon. Crayola crayons were introduced by Binney & Smith in 1903. Today, crayon means a stick of colored wax, chalk, or pigment used for drawing.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient creta "chalk", meaning "chalk".
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval craie "chalk", kept the meaning of chalk.
3. Stage 3 · French · 1600s crayon "a small drawing stick", a diminutive form for a small stick of chalk or pigment.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1600s-1700s crayon "a stick of colored wax or pigment for drawing", Crayola crayons were introduced by Binney & Smith in 1903.