Where does “grim” come from?

grim (Old High German) comes 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
1Proto-Germanicgrimmazgrim, grimly, fierce
2Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrem-to be angry; to sound, bellow, growl, roar, be...
3Proto-Indo-Europeangʰer-to rub; to stroke; to grind
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰrem- →Every word from Proto-Germanic grimmaz →
grim — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer