grau (German Low German)
Where does "grau" come from?
The German Low German word 'grau', meaning 'grey', follows a direct path from Middle Low German 'grāu'[1]. This form descends from the Old Saxon 'grao'[1], which itself developed from the Proto-West Germanic '*grāu'[2]. Ultimately, this traces back to the Proto-Germanic term '*grēwaz'[3], a root that is likely connected to the Proto-Indo-European '*ǵʰreh₁-', signifying 'to glow' or 'to be visible'[4]. This linguistic lineage is shared by cognates such as the German 'grau' and the Dutch 'grauw'[1].
Open questions
- The derivation from the Proto-Indo-European root is considered a likely probability rather than a confirmed etymology. [4]
Full etymology tree
- grau (German Low German), 'grey'
- inherited grāu (Middle Low German)
- inherited grao (Old Saxon), 'grey'
- inherited *grāu (Proto-West Germanic), 'grey'
- inherited *grēwaz (Proto-Germanic), 'grey'
- inherited *gʰreh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to grow (of plants?)'
- inherited *grēwaz (Proto-Germanic), 'grey'
- inherited *grāu (Proto-West Germanic), 'grey'
- inherited grao (Old Saxon), 'grey'
- inherited grāu (Middle Low German)
Ancestors
- grao (Old Saxon)
Cognates and doublets
- grauw (Dutch)
- grau (German)
Sources
- grau (German Low German) - Wiktionary
- grao (Old Saxon) - Wiktionary
- grāu (Proto-West Germanic) - Wiktionary
- grēwaz (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris