I read a sentence today that said something like, "it's so cramped, we'll all be crammed in there", which of course got me to thinking whether "cramp" and "cram" were from the same root. But no.

Cram, the verb, meaning to put something somewhere so that the space is completely filled, is from ME crammen, OE crammian to stuff, akin to crimman to put in.

Cramped, the adjective, meaning constricted in size, is from cramp, from ME crampe < OF < Gmc; c. MD crampe, OS krampo, OHG krampfo.

My investigation lead me to learn that "cramp" is also the name of a kind of clamp, and that clamp is from ME (n.) < MD clampe clamp, cleat; c. MLG klampe.

Also, that "cram" in the sense of stuffing as much knowledge as possible into a brain just before an exam dates back 200 years.

So, I've no questions, but I wasn't going to look that stuff up without telling you about it. Now, talk amongst yourselves.

cramp, cleat, like crampon?

I regocnize the word 'krimpen' in 'cramp'. Reduce in seize.
And when a muscle contracts causing pain it's 'kramp'.

A painful muscle contraction is "cramp" in English. BranShea, does "kramp" have additional meanings in Dutch?

Does crimp fit into this somewhere?

No. But the adjective 'krampachtig' is also used in a figurative way.
Like : a 'krampachtige' effort to appear honest.
I do not think you would say : a 'spasmodic effort to appear honest'. (would you? I would like to know)

cramped is used figuratively; e.g., her speech was cramped and stiff in style.

-joe (crampt OP) friday

Thanks.

crimp is from ME crympen, OE gecrympan to curl, deriv. of crump crooked

It does make one wonder whether the "cr**p**" arrangment meant "bent stick" or some such to the first speakers.

crimp is still used to mean curly/curled hair..

at least it was in my childhood home, and i've used it that way..

Kinky is naturally curly hair, crimped, is set hair.

(Put nicely, kinky hair is "lambs wool" hair.. (especially if blond) its a common feature in the family.. (me? i need to crimp my hair, or it hangs, (or so my mother said) in rats tails..)

and you use a crimper to get it that way, no? unless your born with it, of course.

we had a crimper (in childhood) and a curling iron (the kind you heated in the stove burner) and even a Hot comb (the opposite of a curling iron!)

me? now? --its rats tails.. or pulled away from my face with a clip!