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
- A collection of hard small materials, such as...
Ancestry of “grit”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | griet | — |
| 2 | Old English | greot | earth; sand; grit |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | greutą | grit |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰrewd- | to weep, be sad |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰrēw- | to grind, rub |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰer- | to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines |
Words derived from “grit”