Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “grizzle” come from?

grizzle (English) comes from Old French grisel, from Old French -el, from Latin -ellus, from Latin -ulus, from Proto-Italic -olos, from Proto-Italic -elos, from Proto-Indo-European -e-lós, from Proto-Indo-European -lós — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.

grizzle (English): A dark grey colour; Grey hair; A grey wig

Definitions

  1. A dark grey colour; Grey hair; A grey wig

Ancestry of “grizzle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchgriselgrayish; somewhat gray
2Old French-elSuffix that usually denotes a masculine noun
3Latin-ellusAlternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine...
4Latin-ulusUsed to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating...
5Proto-Italic-olos—
6Proto-Italic-elos—
7Proto-Indo-European-e-lós—
8Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

Words derived from “grizzle”

  • grizzly
  • grizzler
  • гризли
  • グリズリー
  • grizzly
  • grizzly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós →