Where does “grig” come from?

grig (English) comes from Welsh grug, from Middle Welsh gwrug, from Proto-Brythonic gwrʉg, from Proto-Celtic wroikos — heather.

grig (English): A dwarf; A cricket or grasshopper; A small or...

Definitions

  1. A dwarf; A cricket or grasshopper; A small or...

Ancestry of “grig”, step by step

grig traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Welsh grug

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Welshgrugheather
2Middle Welshgwrug—
3Proto-Brythonicgwrʉgheather
4Proto-Celticwroikosheather

via Irish griog

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Irishgriogslight, irritating, pain
Every word from Proto-Celtic wroikos →Every word from Proto-Brythonic gwrʉg →Every word from Middle Welsh gwrug →