Where does “grapple” come from?
Grapple comes from Middle English grapplen, from Old English græpplian, from Old French grappe, from Frankish krappō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European grep- and ger-, roots meaning to seize or grasp.
grapple (English): To seize something and hold it firmly; To wrestle...
Definitions
- To seize something and hold it firmly; To wrestle...
Ancestry of “grapple”, step by step
grapple traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English grab
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | grab | To grip suddenly; to seize; to clutch; To make a... |
| 2 | English | -le | A frequentative suffix of verbs, indicating... |
| 3 | Middle English | -el | — |
| 4 | Old French | -el | Suffix that usually denotes a masculine noun |
| 5 | Latin | -ellus | Alternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine... |
| 6 | Latin | -ulus | Used to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -olos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | -elos | Forms desubstantival and deadjectival diminutive nouns |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -e-lós | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |
via English grape
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | grape | A small, round, smooth-skinned edible fruit,... |
| 2 | Middle English | grape | — |
| 3 | Old French | grappe | grappling hook; fruits or flowers together |
| 4 | Old French | graper | to pick grapes |
| 5 | Old French | grap | hook |
| 6 | Frankish | krappō | hook; a hook |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | grep- | hook; a hook, force |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gremb- | crooked, uneven |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ger- | to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind... |
via Middle English grapplen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | grapplen | to seize, lay hold of |
| 2 | Old English | græpplian | to seize |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | graipilōną | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰrebʰ- | to grab; gather up; rake; to seize, grab; to... |