Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “grotty” come from?

grotty (English) comes from English grotesque, from Middle French grotesque, from Italian grottesco, from Italian -esco, from Vulgar Latin -iscus, from Latin -ensis, from Latin arvum, from Latin colō — to turn.

grotty (English): unpleasant, dirty, slovenly or offensive

Definitions

  1. unpleasant, dirty, slovenly or offensive

Ancestry of “grotty”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgrotesqueDistorted and unnatural in shape or size;...
2Middle Frenchgrotesquefarcical; small cave; ornament
3Italiangrottescogrotesque
4Italian-escoForms adjectives that indicate relationship,...
5Vulgar Latin-iscus-ish
6Latin-ensisOf or from
7Latinarvumfield; farm land
8Latincolō—
9Latinquelō—
10Proto-Italickʷelō—
11Proto-Indo-Europeankʷéleti—
12Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

Words derived from “grotty”

  • grottiness
  • grottily
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- →