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
Ancestry of “grim”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Danish | grim | — |
| 2 | Old Norse | grimmr | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | grimmaz | grim, grimly, fierce |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰrem- | to be angry; to sound, bellow, growl, roar, be... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰer- | to rub; to stroke; to grind |