Where does “grim” come from?

grim (Old Dutch) comes from Proto-West Germanic grimm, from Proto-Germanic grimmaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰrem-, from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- — to rub; to stroke; to grind.

grim (Old Dutch): evil

Definitions

  1. evil

Ancestry of “grim”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicgrimmgrim, angry
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

Words derived from “grim”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰrem- →Every word from Proto-Germanic grimmaz →