When the term crony (also spelled cronie, chrony, cronee, and croney originally) appeared in university slang during the years 1665 and 1666, it did not carry the negative implications it does today. Instead, it was used as an endearing term for a “friend”, similar to “mate” or “chum”. Contrary to some beliefs, it is not linked to the word crone (which has roots in Anglo-French and means “carcass”), but actually derives from the Greek word khronios, signifying “long-lasting”, based on the idea that good friends endure over time. This word is an adjectival form of khronos, which translates to “time”, and may have origins in the Proto-Indo-European root sek, meaning “to cut”. The term cronyism originated in the mid-nineteenth century, initially representing “friendship”, before evolving to refer to the practice of appointing friends to significant positions about a century later.
