Where does “Grinsekatze” come from?

Grinsekatze (German) comes from German katze, from Middle High German katze, from Old High German kazza, from Old High German katta, from Proto-Celtic kattā, from Proto-Germanic *kattǭ, from Latin catta, from Latin cattus — a cat.

Grinsekatze (German): Cheshire cat

Definitions

  1. Cheshire cat

Ancestry of “Grinsekatze”, step by step

Grinsekatze traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German katze

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germankatzehouse cat, Felis silvestris catus
2Middle High Germankatzecat
3Old High Germankazzacat
4Old High Germankatta—
5Proto-Celtickattācat
6Proto-Germanic*kattǭfemale cat
7Latincattaa cat
8Latincattusa cat

via German grinsen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germangrinsento grin
2Middle Englishgrinnen—
3Old Englishgrennianto bare the teeth due to anger, pain, etc.; to grin
4Proto-West Germanic*grannjōnto howl
5Proto-Germanic*granjōnąto howl
Every word from Latin cattus →Every word from Latin catta →Every word from Proto-Germanic *kattǭ →