Everyone step back!

Crowds are tight. In fact, the word "crowd" comes from the Old English verb "crūdan," which meant "to press." There is another term for a crowd, "throng," which comes down form Old English "geþrang," meaning "crowd." "Geþrang" is the noun form of the verb "þringan," meaning "to press." Although "crowd" doesn't have living cognates, "throng" definintely does:

Icelandic: þröngur; þrengja (tight; to tighten)

Faroese: trongur; trongd; treingja (tight; crowd; to press)

Norwegian: trang; trenge ([adj] tight, [n] urge; to need)

Danish: trang; trænge ([adj] tight, [n] urge; to need)

Swedish: trång; tränga (tight; to push)

Frisian: drang ([n] urge)

Low German: drenje (to push, to crowd)

Dutch: gedrang; dringen (crowd; to crowd)

High German: Drang; Gedränge; drängen (pressure; crowd; to crowd)

There is another word in English, "thong" that descended from Old English "þwang." This word has had a stable meaning from that period, but in other Germanic languages, it has the sense of pressure or force.

Icelandic: þvinga (to force)

Faroese: *tvongur; tvinga (shoelace; to force)

Norwegian: tvang; tvinge (force; to force)

Danish: tvang; tvinge (force; to force)

Swedish: tvång; tvinga (force; to force)

Frisian: twang; twinge (compulsion; to force)

Low German: Dwank; dwinje (force; to force)

Dutch: dwang; dwingen (force; to force)

High German: Zwang; zwängen (force; to force)

*In Faroese, the noun has a related sense to English "thong."