Croup
/kruːp/noun
A respiratory illness in children that causes a harsh, barking cough and breathing difficulty.
Did you know?English croup is etymologically tied to the same Germanic root as “croak,” originally describing a harsh, hoarse sound before it became the name of a child’s illness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*krūpaną
“to croak, cry out hoarsely”
Old English
OE
crōpan
“to croak or make a hoarse cry”
Middle English
ME
croupen
“to cry out hoarsely; to make a rough vocal sound”
16th-17th Century
French/English
croupe
“harseness of the throat; later the throat infection marked by a barking cough”
Modern English
English
croup
“a childhood respiratory illness with a barking cough”