From Crack to Peace
Loading the census…
Tap any rung for its meaning.
Two stepping stones: the L (rung 1, for clack) and the N (rung 2, for clank) — each borrowed to keep a rung a real word, then given back before the end. There may be several par routes — the census above shows which ones climbers actually took.
A narrow break or sharp snapping sound.
Crack comes from Old English 'cracian,' meaning to make a sharp noise. It is related to similar words in Dutch and German. The sense of a physical split or fissure grew naturally from the idea of something breaking with a snap.
Full entry on Wiktionary ↗A state of quiet, calm, or freedom from conflict.
Peace entered English from Old French 'pais,' which came from Latin 'pax.' Latin 'pax' is the root of words like 'pacify.' It replaced the Old English word 'frið' for the same concept after the Norman Conquest.
Full entry on Wiktionary ↗Definitions give each word’s most common meaning — the full entries live at Wiktionary.