curl (English)

Where does "curl" come from?

The word 'curl' descends from the Middle English 'crulle,' which underwent a linguistic process called metathesis, a transposition of sounds, to reach its modern form. It traces its ultimate roots to the Proto-Germanic term *kruzlǭ, meaning a 'bent or crooked object.' This Germanic heritage is shared with various related words across languages like Dutch, German, and Danish, all of which describe things that are twisted, frizzy, or curly.

Full etymology tree

• curl (English), 'A curving piece or lock of hair; a ringlet.'
  • inherited crulle (Middle English)
    • borrowed crulle (Middle Dutch)
      • inherited *kruzlǭ (Proto-Germanic)

Direct ancestors

• krul (Dutch)
• krølle (Danish)
• krøll (Norwegian Bokmål)
• Krüüs (Saterland Frisian)
• kraus (German)
• krus (Danish)
• krusa (Swedish)
• 𐌺𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽 (Gothic)

Updated June 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris