Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “gruel” come from?

Gruel comes from Middle English gruel, from Old French gruel and gru, from Frankish grūt, ultimately from Proto-Germanic roots meaning coarsely ground grain or meal.

gruel (English): A thin, watery porridge, formerly eaten primarily...

Definitions

  1. A thin, watery porridge, formerly eaten primarily...

Ancestry of “gruel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgruel—
2Old Frenchgruelcoarse meal; > French {{m|fr|gruau}}
3Medieval Latingrutellum—
4Medieval Latingrutumflour; meal; flour, meal, used as seasoning for...
5Proto-Germanicgrūtizground material; grit

Words derived from “gruel”

  • gruel
  • grueling
  • gruelling
  • gruelingly
  • gruelly
  • gruellingly
Every word from Proto-Germanic grūtiz →