Where does “grisly” come from?
Grisly derives from Middle English -ly, Old English -līċ, Proto-Germanic -līkaz, which combined Proto-Germanic galīkaz with Proto-Indo-European līg- and Proto-Indo-European ḱóm.
grisly (English): Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;...
Definitions
- Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;...
Ancestry of “grisly”, step by step
grisly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English grisely
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | grisely | — |
| 2 | Old English | grisliċ | grisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid |
| 3 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |
via English grisle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | grisle | horror, terror |