Where does “greybody” come from?

greybody (English) comes from English Body, from Middle English bode, from Old English boda, from Proto-Germanic budô, from Proto-Germanic beudaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰewdʰ- — to be awake, be aware.

greybody (English): Alternative spelling of graybody

Definitions

  1. Alternative spelling of graybody

Ancestry of “greybody”, step by step

greybody traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Body

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBodyCorpus Christi College, Cambridge
2Middle Englishbodemessenger
3Old Englishbodamessenger, envoy, herald, apostle, angel; prophet
4Proto-Germanicbudômessenger
5Proto-Germanicbeudanąto offer, to bid
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰewdʰ-to be awake, be aware

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 bʰewdʰ-
greybody — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer