cross-legged
UK[ˌkrɒs ˈleɡɪd]US[ˌkrɔːs ˈleɡɪd]
adj
(of a seated person) having the legs crossed at the ankles and the knees bent outward.
adv
in a cross-legged sitting position.
Morpheme Breakdown
cross
leg
ed
cross
across
leg
limb
ed
adjective suffix
Etymology
The term 'cross-legged' is a transparent English compound adjective formed from native Germanic elements. The first element, 'cross', entered English via Old Norse and Latin, carrying its core sense of something lying or passing across. The second element, 'leg', is a common Germanic word for the lower limb. The suffix '-ed' is added to the noun 'leg' to create the adjectival form 'legged', meaning "having legs". Combined, the literal meaning is "having legs in a crossed position". This descriptive term logically evolved to specifically denote the familiar seated posture where one leg is placed across the other, a concept easily visualized from its constituent parts. Its formation follows a common English pattern for describing physical postures, such as 'open-legged' or 'bow-legged'.
Analysis
Structure: cross (across) + leg (limb) + ed (adjective suffix)
- cross: From Old English 'cros', ultimately from Latin 'crux, crucis'. In this compound, it functions as an adverb/adjective meaning "across" or "in a crossed manner".
- leg: From Old Norse 'leggr', meaning the limb of the body. It functions as the noun base modified by 'cross'.
- ed: A suffix from Old English '-ed', '-od', '-ad', used to form adjectives from nouns, indicating "having the quality of".
Examples
The children sat cross-legged on the floor, listening to the story.
She meditates cross-legged for twenty minutes every morning.
The old man was found cross-legged in his chair, fast asleep.