Where does “grey” come from?
grey (Middle English) comes from Old English grǣġ, from Proto-West Germanic *grāu, from Proto-Germanic grēwaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰreh₁- — to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow.
grey (Middle English): grey, dull, drab; glinting, glistening; grey
Definitions
- grey, dull, drab; glinting, glistening; grey
Ancestry of “grey”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | grǣġ | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *grāu | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | grēwaz | grey |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰreh₁- | to become green, grow; to grow; to green, to grow |
Words derived from “grey”