Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “grimoire” come from?

grimoire (English) comes from French grimoire, from French grammaire, from Middle French grammaire, from Old French gramaire, from Vulgar Latin *grammāria, from Latin grammatica, from Latin grammaticus, from Ancient Greek γραμματικός — to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

grimoire (English): A book of instructions in the use of alchemy or...

Definitions

  1. A book of instructions in the use of alchemy or...

Ancestry of “grimoire”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchgrimoiregrimoire
2Frenchgrammairegrammar; a grammar textbook
3Middle Frenchgrammairegrammar
4Old Frenchgramairegrammar; grimoire; magician; conjuror
5Vulgar Latin*grammāria—
6Latingrammaticagrammar, philology; ablative singular of...
7Latingrammaticusof or pertaining to the study of language, of...
8Ancient Greekγραμματικόςknowing one’s letters, of a good scholar;...
9Ancient Greekγράμμαthat which is written, that which is drawn,...
10Ancient Greekγράφωto scratch, cut into; to draw, sketch, paint; to...
11Proto-Hellenicgrəpʰōto scratch, cut or carve into; to draw ,...
12Proto-Indo-Europeangerbʰ-to carve
13Proto-Indo-Europeanger-to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ger- →