Where does “grosso modo” come from?
grosso modo (Latin) comes from Latin grossus, from Old High German grōz, from Proto-West Germanic graut, from Proto-Germanic grautaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- — to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines.
grosso modo (Latin): roughly, circa, approximately; coarsely
Definitions
- roughly, circa, approximately; coarsely
Ancestry of “grosso modo”, step by step
grosso modo traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin grossus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | grossus | coarse, unrefined; young, green, immature; thick,... |
| 2 | Old High German | grōz | big, large, thick; great; large, thick, coarse |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | graut | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | grautaz | coarse, crude; big, large |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰer- | to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines |