Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “grinning” come from?

Grinning comes from Middle English grinnen and Old English grennian, whose original sense remains uncertain.

grinning (English): present participle of grin; The act or expression...

Definitions

  1. present participle of grin; The act or expression...

Ancestry of “grinning”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgrinA smile in which the lips are parted to reveal...
2Middle Englishgrinnen—
3Old Englishgrennian—
4Proto-West Germanic*grannjōn—
5Proto-Germanic*granjōną—

Words derived from “grinning”

  • grinningly
Every word from Proto-Germanic *granjōną →