1999: Why Decreasing ≠ Ironing Jun 5, 2020

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Based off the words ‘increase’ or ‘decrease’, there is an evident stem *‘crease’, but this has no relation to the verb 'crease', as in a fold; if this were true, then decreasing would only be to remove wrinkles through ironing. It is taken to be that ‘crease’ comes from ‘crest’ since both of these are from folding clothing, but even that appears to have a separate relation, as it initially referred to the top part of a helmet. Keep in mind however, that it comes from the Latin ‘crista’ meaning ‘plumage’, still used in zoology, and that the process of creasing cloth was used to crease the sense that these crests were like hair. This is why increase/decrease are so different, those coming from the Latin ‘crescere’ (to grow).

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