Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “griffe” come from?

griffe (French) comes from Middle French griffe, from Old High German grif, from Proto-West Germanic *gripi, from Proto-Germanic gripiz, from Proto-Germanic grīpaną, from Proto-Indo-European gʰreyb-, from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- — to rub; to stroke; to grind.

griffe (French): claw; talon; scratch mark

Definitions

  1. claw; talon; scratch mark

Ancestry of “griffe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchgriffe—
2Old High Germangrif—
3Proto-West Germanic*gripi—
4Proto-GermanicgripizA grip, grabbing or grasp; Something that is held...
5Proto-Germanicgrīpanąto grab, grasp
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʰreyb-to grab, grasp; to grasp, grab; to grab, to grasp
7Proto-Indo-Europeangʰer-to rub; to stroke; to grind

Words derived from “griffe”

  • griffe
  • griffe
  • agriffer
  • griffu
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- →