English
graze
Graze comes from Middle English grasen ‘to feed with grass’, from Old English grasian ‘to graze’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- ‘to grow (of plants?)’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰreh₁-‘to grow (of plants?)’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grasą‘grass’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grasōną‘to feed on grass’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*grasōn‘to feed on grass’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150grasian‘to graze’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500grasen‘to feed with grass’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598graze
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰreh₁-‘to grow (of plants?)’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grasą‘grass’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grasōną‘to feed on grass’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*grasōn‘to feed on grass’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150grasian‘to graze’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500grasen‘to feed with grass’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598graze
Earliest quotation: c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice: “Shylock: When Jacob grazed his uncle Laban's sheep”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- ‘to grow (of plants?)’
green, grow, herb, arbor, gourmet, groom, yerba, greedily, ambergris, 18 more
through Proto-Germanic *grasą ‘grass’
Today it means
noun The act of grazing; a scratching or injuring lightly on passing.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- / graze