Where does “gross” come from?

gross (Pennsylvania German) comes from Middle High German grōz, from Old High German grōz, from Proto-West Germanic graut, from Proto-Germanic grautaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- — to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines.

gross (Pennsylvania German): big, large

Definitions

  1. big, large

Ancestry of “gross”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germangrōz—
2Old High Germangrōzbig, large, thick; great; large, thick, coarse
3Proto-West Germanicgraut—
4Proto-Germanicgrautazcoarse, crude; big, large
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰer-to yearn for; to enclose; bowels, intestines
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰer- →Every word from Proto-Germanic grautaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic graut →
gross — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer