Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “grene” come from?

grene (Middle English) comes from Old English grēne, from Proto-West Germanic grōnī, from Proto-Germanic grōniz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- — to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow.

grene (Middle English): green

Definitions

  1. green

Ancestry of “grene”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishgrēnegreen
2Proto-West Germanicgrōnīgreen
3Proto-Germanicgrōnizgreen
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰreh₁-to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow

Words derived from “grene”

  • green
  • greenhouse
  • Greenland
  • evergreen
  • Greenfield
  • Greenville
  • greenery
  • greener
  • Greenpeace
  • greensward
  • greenback
  • greenstone
  • greenfield
  • greengrocer
  • Greenacre
  • wintergreen
  • Greenlandic
  • greeny
  • greensand
  • greenly
  • greenheart
  • Greenlander
  • greenway
  • greenschist
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- →