Where does “drear” come from?

Drear comes from Middle English drery, from Old English drēoriġ, from Proto-Germanic dreuzagaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots dʰreus- and -kos, with further connection to Proto-Indo-European dʰrew-.

drear (English): Dreary; Gloom; sadness

Definitions

  1. Dreary; Gloom; sadness

Ancestry of “drear”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdrearyDrab; dark, colorless, or cheerless; Grievous,...
2Middle EnglishdreryExperiencing sadness; glum, unhappy; Showing...
3Old Englishdrēoriġsad
4Proto-Germanicdreuzagazbloody; gory; sad
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰreus-to break, break off, crumble

Words derived from “drear”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰreus- →Every word from Proto-Germanic dreuzagaz →Every word from Old English drēoriġ →