An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Kropf

by Friedrich Kluge

Kropf, m., from the equiv. MidHG. and OHG. kropf, m., ‘goitre, crop, craw’; corresponding to Du. krop, m., ‘crop, bosom, bow of a ship,’ E. crop (of birds, top, harvest), AS. cropp, which has the special meanings ‘crop, summit, top (of trees), ear (of corn, cluster of grapes’; OIc. kroppr, ‘trunk, body’ (also ‘hump’), is still more remarkable. To these numerous senses, a primary meaning, ‘a round mass in the shape of a ball, a projecting spherical body,’ has been assigned; with this the Rom. loan-words such as Fr. groupe, ‘group, cluster, knot,’ coincide. Goth. *kruppa- might be related to Gr. γρῦπός, ‘curved,’ if ‘crop, excrescence,’ represented the prim. meaning of the group.