grow (English)
Where does "grow" come from?
The word "grow" traces its roots back to the Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁-, a root meaning to become green or sprout. It evolved through Proto-Germanic and Old English as grōwan, eventually shifting from a specific term for plants turning green into the broader modern sense of increasing in size or maturing. Its deep connection to the words "green" and "grass" highlights its ancient agricultural origins.
Full etymology tree
- grow (English), 'To become larger, to increase in magnitude.'
- inherited growen (Middle English), 'To grow (usually of plants, fruit, etc.):'
- inherited grōwan (Old English), 'to grow'
- inherited *grōan (Proto-West Germanic), 'to grow (of plants)'
- inherited *grōaną (Proto-Germanic), 'to green'
- inherited *gʰreh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to grow (of plants?)'
- inherited *grōaną (Proto-Germanic), 'to green'
- inherited *grōan (Proto-West Germanic), 'to grow (of plants)'
- inherited grōwan (Old English), 'to grow'
- inherited growen (Middle English), 'To grow (usually of plants, fruit, etc.):'
Direct ancestors
- gʰreh₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
- growen (Middle English)
- growan (Old English)
- grōan (Proto-West Germanic)
- grōaną (Proto-Germanic)
- gʰreh₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
- groeien (Dutch)
- grojen (German Low German)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris