Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian kreft , kraft , kracht (West Frisian krêft , East Frisian (Saterland) krääft , North Frisian (Sylt) kraft ), Old Dutch kraft (Middle Dutch craft , cracht , Dutch kracht ), Old Saxon kraft , kraht (Middle Low German kraft , kracht ), Old High German kraft (Middle High German kraft , German Kraft ), Old Icelandic kraptr , krǫptr (Icelandic kraftur ), Old Swedish krapter (Swedish kraft ), Old Danish, Danish kraft , all in the sense ‘strength, might, power’ and related senses, apparently showing an original tu -stem (compare the Old Icelandic forms), which in most of the attested languages has gone over to the i -stem (or a -stem) declension; further etymology uncertain, perhaps < the same Germanic base as crave v., assuming an original sense for this of ‘to make strong or firm’ (compare also from the same base (with different ablaut: lengthened grade) Old Icelandic (late) kræfr strong (Icelandic kræfur tough, bold, able), Norwegian (Nynorsk) kræv strong, tough, able). Specific forms. The rare Middle English form carft appears to show metathesis (compare β. forms at crafty adj.). Semantic history. The original sense of the Germanic base, ‘strength, might, power’, is preserved in the cognate languages, but has become obsolete in English; the semantic development to ‘skill, art, skilled occupation’ appears to be unique to English (for an apparent exception compare Old Saxon bōkkraft : see bookcraft n.), in which it has long been the usual sense. In English the original sense (see branch I.) does not survive long beyond Middle English and shows a perceptible narrowing of semantic range after the Old English period. In early use in senses of branch II. the word often translates classical Latin ars art n.¹ In Middle English and early modern English, it shows considerable semantic overlap with art n.¹, but later the two words diverge semantically, with craft coming to be associated more with technical ability, and art with creative ability; compare discussion at art n.¹ By the 19th cent. the negative sense 7b had gained so much in currency for N.E.D. to mark it as ‘the chief modern sense’; however, with the revival of interest in traditional crafts from the late 19th cent. onwards (compare arts and crafts n.) and the concomitant wider use of sense 5a and related senses, this is no longer the case. Specific senses. Early currency in sense 10 seems to be implied by the place name Craeft , Leicestershire (836; now Croft), usually interpreted as referring to a watermill or windlass in the locality. Use with reference to boats and other vehicles. The origin of use in branch IV. (originally with reference to boats) is not entirely clear. In early use it was apparently applied specifically to small trading vessels, lighters, etc. (compare small craft n.). It is likely to have arisen in the colloquial language of watermen, fishermen, and seamen, and it has been suggested that it may perhaps have originated as an elliptical expression for ‘vessels of small craft’, i.e. either ‘requiring little seamanship’ (compare sense 3) or ‘engaging in small trade’ (compare sense 5a). However, if the original reference was to fishing boats, the sense may have developed by metonymy from sense 11 (compare the explanation given in quot. 1704 at sense 11).

Etymology: < craft n.In Old English a weak verb of Class I. Compare (with the same stem class, but with different senses) Old Frisian -krefta (in urkrefta to weaken, to rape), Middle Dutch crachten , craften to overcome, Middle Low German kreften to overcome, Old High German kreften to strengthen (Middle High German kreften ). Compare also the rare prefixed weak verb of Class II Old English gecræftgian , apparently in the sense ‘to build’ or ‘to strengthen’ (in isolated use; apparently < y- prefix + crafty adj.). In Old English the prefixed form gecræftan to contrive (of a devil), to bring about (compare y- prefix) is also attested; compare also acræftan to devise (a plan), to think out (compare a- prefix¹). With sense 3 compare slightly earlier crafter n. 1, crafting n. 1.