Where does “groatless” come from?
groatless (English) comes from English groat, from Dutch groot, from Middle Dutch grôot, from Old Dutch grōt, from Proto-West Germanic graut, from Proto-Germanic grautaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- — to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines.
groatless (English): Without a groat; very poor
Definitions
- Without a groat; very poor
Ancestry of “groatless”, step by step
groatless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English groat
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | groat | Hulled grain; Any of various old coins of England... |
| 2 | Dutch | groot | big, large, great; great, important, eminent,... |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | grôot | big, large |
| 4 | Old Dutch | grōt | big, large |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | graut | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | grautaz | coarse, crude; big, large |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰer- | to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines |