'acrawl' originates from the prefix 'a-' meaning 'in the state of' combined with 'crawl', which means 'to move slowly on hands and knees'.

'acrawl' was formed by combining the prefix 'a-' with the word 'crawl', which has been used in English since the Middle Ages.

Initially, it meant 'in the state of crawling', but over time it evolved to mean 'covered with crawling things'.