Etymology Explorer › Old Danish

Where does “grim” come from?

grim (Old Danish) comes from Old Norse grimmr, from Proto-Germanic grimmaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰrem-, from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- — to rub; to stroke; to grind.

Ancestry of “grim”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsegrimmr—
2Proto-Germanicgrimmazgrim, grimly, fierce
3Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrem-to be angry; to sound, bellow, growl, roar, be...
4Proto-Indo-Europeangʰer-to rub; to stroke; to grind
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- →