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
- present participle of grin; The act or expression...
Ancestry of “grinning”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | grin | A smile in which the lips are parted to reveal... |
| 2 | Middle English | grinnen | — |
| 3 | Old English | grennian | to bare the teeth due to anger, pain, etc.; to grin |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *grannjōn | to howl |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *granjōną | to howl |
Words derived from “grinning”