Where does “grauwtje” come from?
grauwtje (Dutch) comes from Dutch grauw, from Middle Dutch grau, from Old Dutch grāo, from Proto-West Germanic *grāu, from Proto-Germanic grēwaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- — to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow.
grauwtje (Dutch): donkey; grisaille
Ancestry of “grauwtje”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | grauw | grey, not brightly colored, ashen, grubby, grimy;... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | grau | — |
| 3 | Old Dutch | grāo | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *grāu | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | grēwaz | grey |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰreh₁- | to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow |