Crepitation
/ˌkrɛpɪˈteɪʃən/noun
The act or sound of crackling, popping, or rattling.
Did you know?It comes from Latin *crepitare*, an intensively repeating verb for “to crackle,” and its older sound-family also gave English *crisp* and *crash*—words that literally carry the noise of impact.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ker-
“To make a sharp noise; to crack, creak, or rattle.”
Latin
Latin
crepare
“To crack, rattle, or resound with a sharp noise.”
Classical Latin
Latin
crepitare
“To crackle repeatedly; to make a crackling sound.”
Late Latin
Latin
crepitatio
“A crackling or rattling sound.”
Middle French
Old French
crépitation
“Crackling, rattling, or a repeated snapping sound.”
Modern English
English
crepitation
“A crackling or popping sound or sensation, especially in medical or physical contexts.”