Etymograph

English

grasseater

From grass + eater.

A compound of grass + eater

Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- ‘to grow’

Proto-Germanic *grasą

Proto-West Germanic *gras

Old English græs

Middle English gras ‘a grass’

English grass

Old English etere

Middle English eter

English eater

The story

Originally in reference to the Irish potato famine, implying that grass was all the Irish had left in their diet.

Today it means

noun A white person, especially an Irishman.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / grasseater