English
greet
Greet comes from Old English grētan ‘to greet, address’, from Proto-Germanic *grōtijaną ‘to cause to weep’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁d- ‘to sound’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰreh₁d-‘to sound’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grētaną‘to weep, to cry’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grōtijaną‘to cause to weep’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*grōtijan‘to address, greet’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150grētan‘to greet, address’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500greten
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1588–1593greet
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰreh₁d-‘to sound’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grētaną‘to weep, to cry’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grōtijaną‘to cause to weep’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*grōtijan‘to address, greet’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150grētan‘to greet, address’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500greten
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1588–1593greet
Earliest quotation: c. 1588–1593, William Shakespeare, The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus: “There greet in silence, as the dead are wont,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁d- ‘to sound’
through Proto-Germanic *grētaną ‘to weep, to cry’
Another origin of greet
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰrewd-‘to rub, grind, remove’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grautaz‘coarse, crude’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*grautreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150grēat‘big’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500greteas greet‘great’
- Englishtodaygreet
Today it means
verb To welcome in a friendly manner, either in person or through another means such as writing.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁d- / greet