Where does “grim” come from?

grim (Middle English) comes from Old English grīma, from Frankish grīmō, from Proto-Germanic grīmô, from Proto-Indo-European gʰrēy-, from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- — to rub; to stroke; to grind.

grim (Middle English): dirt or soot covering the face

Definitions

  1. dirt or soot covering the face

Ancestry of “grim”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishgrīmamask, visor, helmet, spectre, apparition
2Frankishgrīmōmask
3Proto-Germanicgrīmômask; visor; helmet
4Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrēy-to smear; to paint, streak, smear
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʰer-to rub; to stroke; to grind

Words derived from “grim”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- →