Where does “great” come from?

Great comes from Old English grēat, from Proto-Germanic grautaz, from Proto-Indo-European ghrewə-, meaning to grow or increase.

great (English): Taking much space; large

Definitions

  1. Taking much space; large

Ancestry of “great”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgreetgreat
2Old Englishgrēatgreat, large; big, thick, coarse, massive
3Proto-West Germanicgraut—
4Proto-Germanicgrautazcoarse, crude; big, large
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰer-to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines

Words derived from “great”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- →Every word from Proto-Germanic grautaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic graut →