Where does “girn” come from?

girn (English) comes from English grin, from Middle English grinnen, from Old English grennian, from Proto-West Germanic *grannjōn, from Proto-Germanic *granjōną — to howl.

girn (English): To grimace; to snarl; To whinge, moan, complain;...

Definitions

  1. To grimace; to snarl; To whinge, moan, complain;...

Ancestry of “girn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgrinA smile in which the lips are parted to reveal...
2Middle Englishgrinnen—
3Old Englishgrennianto bare the teeth due to anger, pain, etc.; to grin
4Proto-West Germanic*grannjōnto howl
5Proto-Germanic*granjōnąto howl
Every word from Proto-Germanic *granjōną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *grannjōn →Every word from Old English grennian →
girn — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer