Where does “greyback” come from?

greyback (English) comes from English back, from French bac, from French baccalauréat, from Medieval Latin baccalaureatus, from Latin baccalaureus, from Latin laurea, from Latin laurus, from English -aceous — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.

greyback (English): A Confederate soldier during the US Civil War; A...

Definitions

  1. A Confederate soldier during the US Civil War; A...

Ancestry of “greyback”, step by step

greyback traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English back

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbackNear the rear; Not current; Far from the main...
2Frenchbacferry; vat; high school exit exam in France; A...
3Frenchbaccalauréatbaccalaureat; bachelor's degree
4Medieval Latinbaccalaureatusbachelor's degree
5Latinbaccalaureusbachelor
6Latinlaurealaurel, bay tree; crown, wreath or branch of...
7Latinlauruslaurel tree; laurels; a crown of laurel
8English-aceousOf, relating to, resembling or containing the...
9Latin-āceusaceous; resembling, having the nature of, forming, belonging to
10Latin-āxish, -y
11Latin-iumSuffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes...
12Latin-iusforming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter...
13Proto-Italic-jōsForms comparative adjectives
14Proto-Indo-European-yósCreates adjectives from noun or verb stems

via English Grey

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishGreyA member of the Royal Scots Greys, a cavalry...
2Middle Englishgreygrey, dull, drab; glinting, glistening; grey
3Old Englishgrǣġ
4Proto-West Germanic*grāugrey
5Proto-Germanicgrēwazgrey
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰreh₁-to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yósEvery word from Latin -iumEvery word from Latin -ius