Where does “grinningly” come from?
grinningly (English) comes from English grinning, from English grin, from Middle English grinnen, from Old English grennian, from Proto-West Germanic *grannjōn, from Proto-Germanic *granjōną — to howl.
grinningly (English): With a grin
Definitions
- With a grin
Ancestry of “grinningly”, step by step
grinningly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English grinning
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | grinning | present participle of grin; The act or expression... |
| 2 | English | grin | A smile in which the lips are parted to reveal... |
| 3 | Middle English | grinnen | — |
| 4 | Old English | grennian | to bare the teeth due to anger, pain, etc.; to grin |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *grannjōn | to howl |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *granjōną | to howl |