Where does “groat” come from?
Groat comes from Middle Dutch groot, from Old Dutch grōt, from Proto-Indo-European ghrewə-, meaning to grow or become large.
groat (English): Hulled grain; Any of various old coins of England...
Definitions
- Hulled grain; Any of various old coins of England...
Ancestry of “groat”, step by step
groat traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch groot
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | groot | big, large, great; great, important, eminent,... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | grôot | big, large |
| 3 | Old Dutch | grōt | big, large |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | graut | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | grautaz | coarse, crude; big, large |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰer- | to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines |
via Middle English grot
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | grot | A groat or other silver coin of similar value,... |
| 2 | Old English | grot | particle; fragment |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | grutą | — |
via Old Norse grautr
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | grautr | porridge |