Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Grey” come from?

Grey (English) comes from Middle English grey, from Old English grǣġ, from Proto-West Germanic *grāu, from Proto-Germanic grēwaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- — to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow.

Grey (English): A member of the Royal Scots Greys, a cavalry...

Definitions

  1. A member of the Royal Scots Greys, a cavalry...

Ancestry of “Grey”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgreygrey, dull, drab; glinting, glistening; grey
2Old Englishgrǣġ—
3Proto-West Germanic*grāu—
4Proto-Germanicgrēwazgrey
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰreh₁-to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow

Words derived from “Grey”

  • Greymouth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- →