Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “grievously” come from?

Grievously derives from English grievous, from Old French greve meaning "heavy" or "serious," from Latin gravare "to weigh down," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʷréh₂us "heavy."

grievously (English): In a grievous manner, severely

Definitions

  1. In a grievous manner, severely

Ancestry of “grievously”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgrievousCausing grief, pain or sorrow; Serious, grave,...
2EnglishgrieveTo cause sorrow or distress to; To feel very sad...
3Middle Englishgreyvesteward
4Old Norsegreifia count, earl, steward
5Middle Low Germangrēve—
6Old High Germangrāviocount, local judge
7Proto-West Germanicgarāfijōcount; earl; reeve, bailiff
Every word from Proto-West Germanic garāfijō →