Where does “great-great-grandmother” come from?
great-great-grandmother (English) comes from English Great, from Middle English grete, from Old English grēat, from Proto-West Germanic graut, from Proto-Germanic grautaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- — to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines.
great-great-grandmother (English): The mother of someone’s great-grandparent
Definitions
- The mother of someone’s great-grandparent
Ancestry of “great-great-grandmother”, step by step
great-great-grandmother traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Great
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Great | Taking much space; large |
| 2 | Middle English | grete | great; massive; amazing |
| 3 | Old English | grēat | great, large; big, thick, coarse, massive |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | graut | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | grautaz | coarse, crude; big, large |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰer- | to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines |
via English grandmother
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | grandmother | A mother of someone's parent; A female ancestor... |
| 2 | Middle English | graundmodre | — |