Where does “grim” come from?

grim (Danish) comes from Old Danish grim, from Old Norse grimmr, from Proto-Germanic grimmaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰrem-, from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- — to rub; to stroke; to grind.

grim (Danish): ugly, unsightly; nasty

Definitions

  1. ugly, unsightly; nasty

Ancestry of “grim”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Danishgrim—
2Old Norsegrimmr—
3Proto-Germanicgrimmazgrim, grimly, fierce
4Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrem-to be angry; to sound, bellow, growl, roar, be...
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʰer-to rub; to stroke; to grind

Words derived from “grim”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰrem- →Every word from Proto-Germanic grimmaz →