Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “grimm” come from?

grimm (Old English) 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.

grimm (Old English): fierce, savage, terrible, cruel, angry

Definitions

  1. fierce, savage, terrible, cruel, angry

Ancestry of “grimm”, 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 “grimm”

  • grim
  • grimy
  • grime
  • griminess
  • begrime
  • grimily
  • grimsome
  • grimsir
  • begrimer
  • grimeless
  • grimdark
  • grim
  • niþgrimm
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- →