Where does “gravest” come from?
Gravest derives from English grave, from Middle French grave, from Latin gravis, from Proto-Indo-European gʷréh₂us, itself branching from multiple Proto-Indo-European roots including gʰrābʰ-, gʰrebʰ-, and gʰreh₁w-.
gravest (English): superlative form of grave: most grave;...
Definitions
- superlative form of grave: most grave;...
Ancestry of “gravest”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | grave | An excavation in the earth as a place of burial;... |
| 2 | French | gravier | gravel; crushed rocks between 5 and 40 mm in... |
| 3 | Old French | gravé | gravel |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | grava | — |
| 5 | Gaulish | grawa | — |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | grāwā | gravel, pebbles |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰroh₁weh₂ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰreh₁w- | to grind |