Old English crawan "make a loud noise like a crow," probably imitative (see crow (n.)). Compare Dutch kraaijen, German krähen. From mid-13c. as "make a loud noise like a cock," which oddly has become the main sense, the use of the word in reference to crows (and cranes) having faded. Sense of "exult in triumph" is from 1520s, probably an image of the cock's crow, but perhaps also in part because the English crow is a carrion-eater. Related: Crowed; crowing. As a noun, "characteristic cry of the cock," also "the crowing of the cock at dawn," c. 1200.
"a crackling noise," c. 1820, from Latin crepitus "a rattling, creaking;" another word for crepitation, which is from the same root. Compare Latin crepitaculum, name of an ancient instrument resembling the castanets.
"make frequent or rapid cracking noises," mid-15c., crackelen, frequentative of cracken "to crack" (see crack (v.)). Related: Crackled; crackling. The noun, in the sense of "a crackling noise," is recorded from 1833.
1540s, "heavy, resounding blow;" see bang (v.). Meaning "loud, sudden explosive noise" is by 1855.
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper
[T.S. Eliot, from "Hollow Men," 1925]
also swenə-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to sound."
It forms all or part of: assonance; consonant; dissonant; resound; sonant; sonata; sone; sonic; sonnet; sonogram; sonorous; sound (n.1) "noise, what is heard;" sound (v.1) "to be audible;" swan; unison.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit svanati "it sounds," svanah "sound, tone;" Latin sonus "sound, a noise," sonare "to sound;" Old Irish senim "the playing of an instrument;" Old English geswin "music, song," swinsian "to sing;" Old Norse svanr, Old English swan "swan," properly "the sounding bird."
