Where does “ground” come from?
ground (Middle English) comes from Old English grund, from Proto-Germanic grunduz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰrem-, from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- — to rub; to stroke; to grind.
ground (Middle English): ground; Earth
Ancestry of “ground”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | grund | ground; bottom, foundation; abyss, depths |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | grunduz | ground, foundation |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰrem- | to be angry; to sound, bellow, growl, roar, be... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰer- | to rub; to stroke; to grind |