English
Grant
Grant comes from Anglo-Norman graunt ‘big, large’, and goes back to Proto-Italic *grandis.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*grandisreconstructedearlier origin unknown
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgrandis‘large, great, grand, lofty, big’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400grant‘big, large’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400graunt‘big, large’
- Scottish GaelicmodernGrannd
- Englishearliest quotation 1968Grant
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*grandisreconstructedearlier origin unknown
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgrandis‘large, great, grand, lofty, big’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400grant‘big, large’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400graunt‘big, large’
- Scottish GaelicmodernGrannd
- Englishearliest quotation 1968Grant
Earliest quotation: 1968, Earl Conrad, Billy Rose: “He could open that footlocker once in awhile^([sic]) and…”
The story
The dollar-bill sense is from the portrait of Ulysses S. Grant featured on it.
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *grandis
through Latin grandis ‘large, great, grand, lofty, big’
grande, grandiose, aggrandizement, 7 more
through Old French grant ‘big, large’
Today it means
name An English surname transferred from the nickname and a Scottish clan name, from a nickname meaning "large".
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *grandis / Grant