An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/grün

by Friedrich Kluge

grün, adjective, ‘green, fresh, vigorous, unripe,’ from Middle High German grüene, Old High German gruoni, ‘green, fresh’; corresponding to Old Saxon grôni, Dutch groen, Anglo-Saxon grêne, English green, Old Icelandic grœ́nn, Gothic *grô-ni-, ‘green'; allied to a Teutonic root grô, ‘to grow, become green.’ Compare Middle High German grüejen, Old High German gruoan, ‘to grow green’; Anglo-Saxon grôwan, English to grow, Dutch groeijen, ‘to grow, thrive.’ Akin to Gras and its Aryan cognates.