Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “grits” come from?

Grits comes from Middle English grete, from Old English grēat, from Proto-Germanic grautaz, from Proto-Indo-European ghrewə-.

grits (English): plural of grit; Coarsely ground hominy which is...

Definitions

  1. plural of grit; Coarsely ground hominy which is...

Ancestry of “grits”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgritA collection of hard small materials, such as...
2Middle Englishgriet—
3Old Englishgreotearth; sand; grit
4Proto-Germanicgreutągrit
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrewd-to weep, be sad
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrēw-to grind, rub
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰer-to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- →