Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “grætan” come from?

grætan (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic grātan, from Proto-Germanic grētaną, from Proto-Indo-European gʰrēw-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- — to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines.

grætan (Old English): to weep, cry; to bemoan, lament, bewail; to...

Definitions

  1. to weep, cry; to bemoan, lament, bewail; to...

Ancestry of “grætan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicgrātanto weep, to cry
2Proto-Germanicgrētanąto weep, to cry
3Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrēw-to grind, rub
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰer-to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- →