Etymology Explorer › Middle Low German

Where does “grö̂ten” come from?

grö̂ten (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon grōtian, from Proto-West Germanic grōtijan, from Proto-Germanic grōtijaną, from Proto-Germanic grētaną, from Proto-Indo-European gʰrēw-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- — to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines.

Ancestry of “grö̂ten”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Saxongrōtian—
2Proto-West Germanicgrōtijanto address, to greet
3Proto-Germanicgrōtijanąto cause to weep; make cry; to scold; to address
4Proto-Germanicgrētanąto weep, to cry
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrēw-to grind, rub
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰer-to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines

Words derived from “grö̂ten”

  • gröten
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- →