ground

Where does the word "ground" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic grunduz, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

Ground’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: grunduz meant “bottom, ground.” German 'Grund' is a cousin. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as grund. Meant the bottom of the sea or a pit, as well as the earth's surface. It reached English by 1500s as ground. Coffee 'grounds' keep the old sense of what settles at the bottom. Today, ground means the solid surface of the earth.

1. Stage 1 · Proto-Germanic · ancient grunduz "bottom, ground", German 'Grund' is a cousin.
2. Stage 2 · Old English · 700s-1000s grund "bottom, foundation", meant the bottom of the sea or a pit, as well as the earth's surface.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s ground "earth's surface", coffee 'grounds' keep the old sense of what settles at the bottom.