Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “grey-haired” come from?

grey-haired (English) comes 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.

grey-haired (English): Having grey hair; old, wise, experienced

Definitions

  1. Having grey hair; old, wise, experienced

Ancestry of “grey-haired”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishGreyA member of the Royal Scots Greys, a cavalry...
2Middle Englishgreygrey, dull, drab; glinting, glistening; grey
3Old Englishgrǣġ—
4Proto-West Germanic*grāu—
5Proto-Germanicgrēwazgrey
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰreh₁-to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow

Words derived from “grey-haired”

  • gray-haired
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- →