Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “gray-haired” come from?

gray-haired (English) comes from English grey-haired, from English Grey, from Middle English grey, from Old English grǣġ, from Proto-West Germanic *grāu, from Proto-Germanic grēwaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- — to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow.

gray-haired (English): Alternative form of grey-haired

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of grey-haired

Ancestry of “gray-haired”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishgrey-hairedHaving grey hair; old, wise, experienced
2EnglishGreyA member of the Royal Scots Greys, a cavalry...
3Middle Englishgreygrey, dull, drab; glinting, glistening; grey
4Old Englishgrǣġ—
5Proto-West Germanic*grāu—
6Proto-Germanicgrēwazgrey
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰreh₁-to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- →