English
grimoire
Grimoire comes from Old French gramaire ‘grammar’, from Ancient Greek γρᾰμμᾰτῐκός ‘knowing one's letters’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gerbʰ- ‘to carve’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gerbʰ-‘to carve’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*grə́pʰō‘to scratch, cut or carve into’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγρᾰ́φω‘to write’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEγράμμα‘that which is drawn or written’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEγρᾰμμᾰτῐκόςgrămmătĭkós‘knowing one's letters’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgrammaticus‘relating to grammar, grammatical’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEgrammatica‘grammar’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400gramaire‘grammar’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentgrimoire
- Englishearliest quotation 1821same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gerbʰ-‘to carve’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*grə́pʰō‘to scratch, cut or carve into’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγρᾰ́φω‘to write’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEγράμμα‘that which is drawn or written’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEγρᾰμμᾰτῐκόςgrămmătĭkós‘knowing one's letters’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEgrammaticus‘relating to grammar, grammatical’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEgrammatica‘grammar’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400gramaire‘grammar’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentgrimoire
- Englishearliest quotation 1821same form
Earliest quotation: 1821, M.: “There is something exceedingly unpleasant in being obliged to…”
The story
The English word is a doublet of glamour, glamoury, gramarye, and grammar.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gerbʰ- ‘to carve’
crawl, crab, carve, crawfish, astrophotography, grammarian, 79 more
through Proto-Hellenic *grə́pʰō ‘to scratch, cut or carve into’
photo, cinema, graphic, graphite, graphene, epigram, 74 more
through Ancient Greek γρᾰ́φω ‘to write’
photography, graffiti, graft, demography, ultrasonography, epigraph, sonography, 41 more
through Ancient Greek γράμμα ‘that which is drawn or written’
through Latin grammatica ‘grammar’
through Old French gramaire ‘grammar’
Today it means
noun A book of instructions in the use of alchemy or magic, especially one containing spells for summoning demons.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gerbʰ- / grimoire