Where does “Great” come from?
Great (English) comes from Middle English grete, from Old English grēat, from Proto-West Germanic graut, from Proto-Germanic grautaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- — to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines.
Ancestry of “Great”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | grete | great; massive; amazing |
| 2 | Old English | grēat | great, large; big, thick, coarse, massive |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | graut | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | grautaz | coarse, crude; big, large |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰer- | to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines |