green
The colour of growing grass and leaves; between blue and yellow in the spectrum.
Etymology
From Old English grēne (green), from Proto-Germanic *grōniz, from PIE *gʰreh₁- (to grow, to become green). The word is etymologically identical with grow — green is literally 'the colour of growing things.' Cognates include grass (also from the same root) and Latin grāmen (grass).
The Journey: *gʰreh₁- → green
*gʰreh₁-
*grōniz
grēne
green
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *gʰreh₁-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Dutch | groen — green |
| Danish | grøn — green |
| German | grün — green |
| Old Norse | grœnn — green |
Did You Know?
Green, grow, and grass all descend from the same PIE root *gʰreh₁-. English is unusually consistent here — our colour word, our growth word, and our most common plant covering are all etymological siblings.
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰreh₁-. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.