Where does “engrossing” come from?
Engrossing derives from Middle English engrossen, from Anglo-Norman engrosser, meaning to buy up goods in bulk to resell at profit.
engrossing (English): Utterly consuming one's time and attention;...
Definitions
- Utterly consuming one's time and attention;...
Ancestry of “engrossing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | engross | To write in large, aesthetic, and legible... |
| 2 | Middle English | engrossen | — |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman French | engrosser | — |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | ingrossō | — |
| 5 | Latin | grossus | coarse, unrefined; young, green, immature; thick,... |
| 6 | Old High German | grōz | big, large, thick; great; large, thick, coarse |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | graut | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | grautaz | coarse, crude; big, large |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰer- | to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines |