Where does “tattergreis” come from?
tattergreis (German) comes from German Greis, from Middle High German grīs, from Old High German grīs, from Proto-West Germanic *grīs, from Proto-Germanic grīsaz — grey; terrible; frightening.
Ancestry of “tattergreis”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Greis | old man |
| 2 | Middle High German | grīs | — |
| 3 | Old High German | grīs | grey |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *grīs | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | grīsaz | grey; terrible; frightening |