Crux
/krʌks/noun
A central or decisive point; also, a cross-shaped figure or the Cross.
Did you know?In Latin, *crux* referred not just to a cross, but to an instrument of execution, which is why its descendants often carry the sense of pain, pressure, and a decisive ordeal.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sker-
“to bend, turn, or curve”
Latin
Latin
crux
“cross; stake for execution”
Late Latin
Latin
cruciare
“to torment, torture”
Old French
Old French
crois
“cross”
Middle English
English
crux
“cross; the essential point of a matter”
Modern English
English
crux
“the most important or difficult part of something”
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