Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “grīnen” come from?

grīnen (Middle High German) comes from Old High German grīnan, from Proto-Germanic grīnaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- — to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines.

Ancestry of “grīnen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germangrīnanto twist the mouth
2Proto-Germanicgrīnanąto snarl, show teeth, grin; to flash, give light
3Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰer-to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines

Words derived from “grīnen”

  • greinen
  • grein
  • gréngen
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- →