Where does “greet” come from?
Greet comes from Middle English greten, from Proto-Germanic grōtijaną, from Proto-Germanic grautaz, from Proto-Indo-European ghrewə-, ultimately related to Proto-Indo-European -éyeti and -yeti.
greet (English): To welcome in a friendly manner, either in person...
Definitions
- To welcome in a friendly manner, either in person...
Ancestry of “greet”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | grētan | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | grōtijan | to address, to greet |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | grōtijaną | to cause to weep; make cry; to scold; to address |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | grētaną | to weep, to cry |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰrēw- | to grind, rub |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰer- | to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines |
Words derived from “greet”