English
grapple
Grapple comes from Middle English *grapplen ‘to seize, lay hold of’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰrebʰ-root as named
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*græpplian‘to seize’reconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*grapplen‘to seize, lay hold of’reconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1961grapple
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰrebʰ-root as named
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*græpplian‘to seize’reconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*grapplen‘to seize, lay hold of’reconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1961grapple
Earliest quotation: 1961, ""Voyageur"", The Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith Railway: “Class 4 2-6-4T No. 42098 grapples with the 1…”
Formed from grab + -le
Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ- ‘to gather, rake, seize’
Proto-Germanic *grabōną ‘to gather, rake’
Proto-West Germanic *grabbōn
Old Saxon gravan
Middle Dutch grabben ‘to grasp, seize’
English grab
The story
Influenced in some senses by grapple (“tool with claws or hooks”, noun) (see below).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ-
Another origin of grapple
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400grappil‘a ship's grapple’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*grapplereconstructed
- Englishtodaygrapple
Influenced in some senses by grapple (“seize”, verb) (see above).
Today it means
verb To seize something and hold it firmly.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ- / grapple