Croft
Old English: of unknown origin.
wiktionary
The noun is derived from Middle English croft, crofft, croffte, croofte, crofte(“croft”), [1] from Old English croft(“enclosed field”); further etymology uncertain, [2] [3] but possibly from Proto-Germanic *kruftaz(“a hill; a curve”), from Proto-Indo-European *grewb-(“to bend; arch, crook, curve”); see also crop. The English word is cognate with Middle Dutch kroft, krocht, crocht(“high and dry land; a field on the downs”), Middle Low German kroch(“enclosed piece of farmland or pasture”), Scots croft, craft(“croft”). [2]
The verb is derived from the noun. [4]
From Middle English croft, crofte, croufte, crufte(“crypt; vault”), from Old English cruft, [5] from Latin crupta, crypta(“crypt; vault”), [6] from Ancient Greek κρυπτή(kruptḗ), feminine form of κρῠπτός(kruptós, “concealed, hidden; secret”), from κρύπτω(krúptō, “to conceal, hide; to obscure”) (further etymology unknown) + -ος(-os). The English word is cognate with Middle Dutch croft, crocht, crochte, crogt, cruft, crufte (modern Dutch krocht(“underground cavity, cave; underground vault, crypt”)), Middle Low German krucht, kruft(“crypt”), Old High German cruft (Middle High German kruft(“cave; crypt”)). [5] Doublet of grotto and crypt.
A variant of carafe. [7]
etymonline
croft (n.)
"small piece of enclosed ground for agricultural purposes, a very small farm," especially of those on the western coast and isles of Scotland. Old English croft "enclosed field, small field," of unknown etymology. Germanic and Celtic sources have been proposed.
Crofter "tenant who holds a small field, one who occupies a croft," especially "small farmer on the western coast and islands of Scotland," is by 1762 (from late 13c. as a surname), originally Scottish.
