Etymology

grith

G2R1I1T1H4

Today it means: Guaranteed security, sanctuary, safe conduct. Full definition →

Middle English grith ← Old English griþ ← Old Norse grið
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The story

  1. Old Norse · derived fromgrið“domicile, home”
  2. Old English · inherited fromgriþ
  3. Middle English · inherited fromgrith
  4. English todaygrith

From Middle English grith, griþ, from Late Old English griþ, from Old Norse grið (“domicile, home”), in the plural with a meaning "truce, peace; sanctuary, asylum". The English word is attested from the early 11th century, and after the end of the Anglo-Saxon period assumed a meaning of peace in general, especially by association with frith. The word became obsolete by the 16th century, or during the 17th century in Scottish English, but was revived in the context of historical novels in the 19th century. The verb griþian (“to make peace”) appears in the Laws of Æthelred (Þæt hi Godes cirican æȝhwar ȝeorne griðian and friðian) and in Middle English is attested occasionally during the 13th century.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.