Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “greotan” come from?

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

greotan (Old English): to weep, lament

Definitions

  1. to weep, lament

Ancestry of “greotan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicgreutanto grind, to crush
2Proto-Germanicgreutanąto grind, crush
3Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrēw-to grind, rub
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰer-to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines

Words derived from “greotan”

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