Where does “gruff” come from?

Gruff comes from Middle Dutch grof, from Old Dutch grof, from Proto-Germanic grubaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰrubʰos, ultimately from the root gʰrewbʰ-.

gruff (English): having a rough, surly, and harsh demeanor and...

Definitions

  1. having a rough, surly, and harsh demeanor and...

Ancestry of “gruff”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchgrofrough, coarse; rude; extreme, gross, grave
2Middle Dutchgrofthick; large, great; course, rough
3Old Dutchgrof—
4Proto-West Germanic*grob—
5Proto-Germanicgrubazcoarse, rough
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrewbʰ-—

Words derived from “gruff”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰrewbʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic grubaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *grob →