Where does “gnar” come from?

gnar (English) comes from English gnarly, from English gnarl, from English gnarled, from English knurled, from English knurl, from Middle English knarre, from German knarren — to creak.

gnar (English): To snarl or growl; gnarly; Snow or an ocean wave

Definitions

  1. To snarl or growl; gnarly; Snow or an ocean wave

Ancestry of “gnar”, step by step

gnar traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English gnarly

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgnarlyHaving or characterized by gnarls; gnarled;...
2EnglishgnarlA knot in wood; a large or hard knot, or a...
3EnglishgnarledKnotty and misshapen; Made rough by age or hard...
4Englishknurledsimple past tense and past participle of knurl
5EnglishknurlA contorted knot in wood; A crossgrained...
6Middle Englishknarreknot in wood; a crag; twisted rock; knot in wood
7Germanknarrento creak

via Old English gnyrran

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishgnyrran
Every word from German knarren