grojen (German Low German)

Where does "grojen" come from?

The German Low German verb 'grojen', meaning to become green, thrive, or grow[1], traces its lineage through West Germanic languages. It descends from Middle Low German 'grôjen'[1], which in turn developed from Old Saxon '*grōian'[1][2]. This older Saxon form originates in Proto-West Germanic '*grōan'[2], sharing a deep historical root with the modern English word grow[1].

Open questions

• The Old Saxon form '*grōian' is a reconstructed term rather than an directly attested one. [1]
• The Proto-West Germanic source '*grōan' is reconstructed based on comparative linguistic evidence. [2]

Full etymology tree

• grojen (German Low German), 'To become green'
  • inherited grôjen (Middle Low German)
    • inherited *groian (Old Saxon), 'to grow'
      • inherited *grōan (Proto-West Germanic), 'to grow (of plants)'

Sources

1. grojen (German Low German) - Wiktionary
2. groian (Old Saxon) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris