English
gray
Gray comes from Old English grǣġ ‘grey’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *grēwaz.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grēwaz‘grey’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*grāgreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150grǣġ‘grey’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500gray
- Englishearliest quotation 1817same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grēwaz‘grey’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*grāgreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150grǣġ‘grey’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500gray
- Englishearliest quotation 1817same form
Earliest quotation: 1817, Percy Bysshe Shelley, The Revolt of Islam. […]: “Two hours, whose mighty circle did embrace More time…”
The story
Further derived from Proto-West Germanic *grāu, from Proto-Germanic *grēwaz (‘grey’), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁- (‘to green, to grow’).
Linked words
through Proto-West Germanic *grāg
Today it means
adj Of a color between black and white, having neutral hue and intermediate brightness.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *grēwaz / gray