Where does “grimdark” come from?
grimdark (English) comes from English dark, from Middle English derk, from Old English deorc, from Proto-West Germanic derk, from Proto-Germanic derkaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰerg-o-s, from Proto-Indo-European dʰerg-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- — to support; to hold.
grimdark (English): Having a gloomy, dystopian atmosphere; The...
Definitions
- Having a gloomy, dystopian atmosphere; The...
Ancestry of “grimdark”, step by step
grimdark traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dark
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dark | Having an absolute or relative lack of light;... |
| 2 | Middle English | derk | dark |
| 3 | Old English | deorc | dark |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | derk | dirty; dark |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | derkaz | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰerg-o-s | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰerg- | to dim, darken; dim, dull; dark, dusky |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |
via English Grim
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Grim | and gloomy, cold and forbidding |
| 2 | Old English | Grīm | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | Grímr | especially one of Óðinn's names |
| 4 | Icelandic | gríma | mask; to mask |
| 5 | Frankish | grīmō | mask |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | grīmô | mask; visor; helmet |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰrēy- | to smear; to paint, streak, smear |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰer- | to rub; to stroke; to grind |