creek: [13] Now firmly associated with watercourse, the original connotations of creek seem to have been of ‘narrow and secluded bendiness’. It appears to have been borrowed from Old Norse kriki ‘nook’, which some have speculated may be related to Old Norse krōkr ‘hook’ (source of English crook). Creek remains strictly a word for narrow waterways, a reminder of its beginnings. => crook[creek etymology, creek origin, 英语词源]