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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Cramping My Style #173367 02/09/2008 1:55 AM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,773 Sparteye Pooh-Bah Sparteye Pooh-Bah Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,773 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. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Cramping My Style Sparteye #173368 02/09/2008 2:03 AM Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont cramp, cleat, like crampon? formerly known as etaoin... Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Cramping My Style Sparteye #173373 02/09/2008 8:39 AM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague I regocnize the word 'krimpen' in 'cramp'. Reduce in seize. And when a muscle contracts causing pain it's 'kramp'. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Cramping My Style BranShea #173394 02/09/2008 4:14 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,773 Sparteye Pooh-Bah Sparteye Pooh-Bah Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,773 A painful muscle contraction is "cramp" in English. BranShea, does "kramp" have additional meanings in Dutch? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Cramping My Style Sparteye #173471 02/12/2008 6:50 AM Joined: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,154 British Columbia, Canada Zed Pooh-Bah Zed Pooh-Bah Joined: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,154 British Columbia, Canada Does crimp fit into this somewhere? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Cramping My Style Sparteye #173476 02/12/2008 12:24 PM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague Quote: does "kramp" have additional meanings in Dutch? 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) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Cramping My Style BranShea #173484 02/12/2008 4:24 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass cramped is used figuratively; e.g., her speech was cramped and stiff in style. -joe (crampt OP) friday Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Cramping My Style tsuwm #173488 02/12/2008 6:44 PM Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague Thanks. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Cramping My Style Zed #173506 02/13/2008 4:24 AM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,773 Sparteye Pooh-Bah Sparteye Pooh-Bah Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,773 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. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Cramping My Style Sparteye #173510 02/13/2008 5:32 AM Joined: Oct 2000 Posts: 5,400 rego park of troy Carpal Tunnel of troy Carpal Tunnel Joined: Oct 2000 Posts: 5,400 rego park 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..) my other obsession Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Cramping My Style of troy #173514 02/13/2008 10:46 AM Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont and you use a crimper to get it that way, no? unless your born with it, of course. formerly known as etaoin... Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: Cramping My Style Buffalo Shrdlu #173526 02/13/2008 3:30 PM Joined: Oct 2000 Posts: 5,400 rego park of troy Carpal Tunnel of troy Carpal Tunnel Joined: Oct 2000 Posts: 5,400 rego park 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! my other obsession Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. 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