Where does “gruffiness” come from?
gruffiness (English) comes from English gruffy, from English gruff, from Dutch grof, from Middle Dutch grof, from Old Dutch grof, from Proto-West Germanic *grob, from Proto-Germanic grubaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰrewbʰ-.
gruffiness (English): The state or quality of being gruffy
Definitions
- The state or quality of being gruffy
Ancestry of “gruffiness”, step by step
gruffiness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English gruffy
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gruffy | Rough or surly |
| 2 | English | gruff | having a rough, surly, and harsh demeanor and... |
| 3 | Dutch | grof | rough, coarse; rude; extreme, gross, grave |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | grof | thick; large, great; course, rough |
| 5 | Old Dutch | grof | — |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | *grob | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | grubaz | coarse, rough |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰrewbʰ- | — |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |