Where does “Greifswald” come from?
Greifswald (German) comes from German greif, 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.
Ancestry of “Greifswald”, step by step
Greifswald traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German greif
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | greif | singular imperative of greifen; first-person... |
| 2 | Middle High German | grif | griffin, gryphon |
| 3 | Old High German | grif | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *gripi | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | gripiz | A grip, grabbing or grasp; Something that is held... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | grīpaną | to grab, grasp |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰreyb- | to grab, grasp; to grasp, grab; to grab, to grasp |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰer- | to rub; to stroke; to grind |