Where does “groove” come from?

Groove comes from Middle English grove, from Old English grāf, from Proto-Germanic grōbō, from Proto-Indo-European gʰrebʰ-, ultimately from the root gʰrābʰ- meaning to dig or scratch.

groove (English): A long, narrow channel or depression; e.g., such...

Definitions

  1. A long, narrow channel or depression; e.g., such...

Ancestry of “groove”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgrov—
2Middle Dutchgroeve—
3Old Dutchgruovahole, ditch, pit
4Proto-West Germanic*grōbu—
5Proto-Germanicgrōbōhole, ditch, pit
6Proto-Germanicgrabanąto dig; to engrave, scratch
7Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrābʰ-to dig, scratch, scrape

Words derived from “groove”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰrābʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic grabaną →Every word from Proto-Germanic grōbō →