Where does “grit” come from?

Grit comes from Middle English grete, Old English grēat, Proto-Germanic grautaz, and Proto-Indo-European ghrewə-, ultimately relating to grinding or crushing.

grit (English): A collection of hard small materials, such as...

Definitions

  1. A collection of hard small materials, such as...

Ancestry of “grit”, step by step

grit traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English griet

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgriet—
2Old Englishgreotearth; sand; grit
3Proto-Germanicgreutągrit
4Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrewd-to weep, be sad
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrēw-to grind, rub
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰer-to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines

via Middle English grete

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgretegreat; massive; amazing
2Old Englishgrēatgreat, large; big, thick, coarse, massive
3Proto-West Germanicgraut—
4Proto-Germanicgrautazcoarse, crude; big, large
5Proto-Indo-Europeanghrewə-to fell, put down, fall in

Words derived from “grit”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰrēw- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰrewd- →
grit — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer