Etymograph

English

grazier

Grazier comes from Middle English grasiere ‘an individual who grazes cattle’, from Proto-Germanic *grasōną ‘to feed on grass’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- ‘to grow, become green’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰreh₁-‘to grow, become green’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grasą‘grass’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grasōną‘to feed on grass’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*grasōnreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150grasian‘to graze’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500grasen‘to graze’
  7. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500grasiere‘an individual who grazes cattle’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1902grazier

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰreh₁-‘to grow, become green’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grasą‘grass’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grasōną‘to feed on grass’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*grasōnreconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150grasian‘to graze’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500grasen‘to graze’
  7. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500grasiere‘an individual who grazes cattle’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1902grazier

Earliest quotation: 1902, Barbara Baynton, Bush Studies (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton): “They came ungraciously, but after his dark, bodeful hints…”

Equivalent to graze + -ier

Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- ‘to grow (of plants?)’

…

Proto-Germanic *grasōną ‘to feed on grass’

Proto-West Germanic *grasōn ‘to feed on grass’

Old English grasian ‘to graze’

Middle English grasen ‘to feed with grass’

English graze

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- ‘to grow, become green’

green, grow, herb, arbor, groom, gourmet, greedily, yerba, ambergris, 17 more

through Proto-Germanic *grasą ‘grass’

grass

through Middle English grasen ‘to graze’

graze

Today it means

noun A person who grazes cattle and/or sheep on a rural property.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- / grazier

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