Where does “Affengriff” come from?

Affengriff (German) comes from German griff, from Middle High German grif, 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.

Affengriff (German): A grip on a bar with the thumb laying next to the other fingers instead of encircling the bar

Definitions

  1. A grip on a bar with the thumb laying next to the other fingers instead of encircling the bar

Ancestry of “Affengriff”, step by step

Affengriff traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German griff

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germangrifffirst/third-person singular preterite of greifen
2Middle High Germangrifgriffin, gryphon
3Old High Germangrif
4Proto-West Germanic*gripi
5Proto-GermanicgripizA grip, grabbing or grasp; Something that is held...
6Proto-Germanicgrīpanąto grab, grasp
7Proto-Indo-Europeangʰreyb-to grab, grasp; to grasp, grab; to grab, to grasp
8Proto-Indo-Europeangʰer-to rub; to stroke; to grind

via German affe

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanaffemonkey or ape (male or female or of unspecified sex)
2Middle High Germanaffesimian
3Old High Germanaffomonkey; ape
4Proto-West Germanicapōape, monkey
5Proto-Germanicapôape, monkey
6Proto-Indo-Europeanabō-ape
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰer-