We explain what a crush is, the origin of the term in English, and how it was used. We also explain how it came to be used in Spanish.
What is a crush?
The word crush comes from English and is a verb that has meanings associated with “to crush,” “to crunch,” or “to crush,” which is why it’s common to find it in juiced fruit drinks (like Orange Crush). However, at the beginning of the 21st century, an older use of the term, linked to the world of romance and love, became popular and has been adopted into popular internet slang in Spanish, thanks to social media and 2.0 culture.
In English, the first recorded meaning of “crush” in the sense of love dates back to 1884, in the diary of writer Isabella Maud Rittenhouse (1864-1946). You must read about Planisphere once.
According to some English language scholars, this term could come from “mash,” a colloquial term used at the time to refer to falling in love or flirting. According to some 19th-century etymological dictionaries, it could come from the Romani term masherava, which translates as “to charm” or “to seduce.”
The truth is that starting in 1913, the phrase “to have a crush on someone” began to be used to refer to the act of falling in love. However, over time, this usage became restricted to platonic infatuation, also known in English as puppy love.
This is because it is a contemplative, impossible type of love, entirely fascinated by the object of desire and similar to the devotion puppies feel for their owners.
This latter meaning has been adopted in Spanish in recent years. Thus, “to have a crush on someone” or “someone be my crush” are common phrases in youth slang that should be interpreted as the speaker feeling a platonic and lasting attraction to that person.
Such statements are often made about film actors, personalities from the music world, or simply famous people, since such unrequited love has a youthful and adolescent overtone. Maybe you should definitely read about Greenwich Meridian once.
References
All the information we offer is supported by authoritative and up-to-date bibliographic sources, which ensure reliable content in line with our editorial principles.
- “What does crush mean?” in La Nación (Argentina).
- “What does ‘crush’ mean? Here’s what it’s about” in El Comercio (Peru).
- “Etymology of crush” in English Language and Usage.
- “Puppy love” in Wikipedia (English).
