Where does “Greece” come from?
Greece comes from Middle English Grece, from Old French Grece, from Latin Graecia, from Ancient Greek Γραικός, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂-.
Ancestry of “Greece”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | Grece | A step; a part of a staircase or set of stairs |
| 2 | Old French | gré | pleasure, goodwill; will; step |
| 3 | Latin | grātum | — |
| 4 | Latin | grātus | pleasing, acceptable, agreeable, welcome |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | grātos | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷr̥Htós | praised |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷerH- | to express approval; praise; to elevate |