Knowing the etymological origin of the term creaking is something really complicated, since there are many and varied theories that exist in this regard. This is the case, for example, of those that determine that it derives from the Dutch, specifically from the word “kraken” and that it could have been used in the 16th century to refer to the noise made by Dutch wooden boats.
However, another of the most accepted theories in this regard, perhaps the most, indicates that it is a word that derives from Latin. Specifically, it would come from the Latin verb “cruscire”, which appeared in the 8th century and was synonymous with “crackling”.
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The verb creaking refers to the noise that certain objects make when they break, move or rub against others. When something creaks, therefore, it makes a characteristic sound.
For example: “As soon as it started to move across the bridge, the wood began to creak”, “When I heard my knee crack, I got scared”, “Since the train stopped passing through the town, the creaking of the tracks is missed”.
The act and result of crunching is called crunching. Sometimes the creak of an element is considered normal : if a person sits up in bed, he is likely to hear the mattress springs creak. This noise is not a symptom of an abnormal situation. However, the cracking sound can indicate a problem or serve as an alert of possible impending damage. Suppose an old man stumbles and falls with the full weight of his body on his left hand. At the moment of impact, he hears one or more bones crack. In this case, the crack may have been caused by a fracture.
The term creak can also be used symbolically. An analyst can say that the economic model of a country is beginning to creak: this means that the model in question is showing signs of imminent collapse, just as wood that is about to break creaks. On the other hand, a company can go bust if its sales fall, it registers losses on its balance sheet and it has to face debts that it is not in a position to pay.
In the same way, colloquially we speak of “gnashing your teeth”. With this expression we try to mention that noise that many people make when they sleep and that comes from grinding their teeth. Scientifically, this action responds to the name of bruxism and consists of rubbing the teeth from back to front against each other.
There are different causes that can lead a person to gnash their teeth. However, among the most common are stress, having teeth that are not aligned correctly, feeling very nervous… All of this can mean that the individual, as a result of what they do with their teeth, has to endure consequences such as headaches, headache, dental sensitivity to hot or cold foods, trouble sleeping, earaches, notable muscle sensitivity…