Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “grandee” come from?

Grandee comes from Spanish grande, from Latin grandis meaning "large," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ghrewə-.

grandee (English): A high-ranking nobleman in Spain or Portugal; A...

Definitions

  1. A high-ranking nobleman in Spain or Portugal; A...

Ancestry of “grandee”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Spanishgrandebig, large; great; aged, old
2Old Spanishgrandegreat
3Latingrandisfull-grown, grown up; large, great, grand, lofty;...
4Proto-Italic*grandis—

Words derived from “grandee”

  • grandeeship
Every word from Proto-Italic *grandis →