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Origin and history of gripe

gripe(v.)

c. 1200, "to clutch, seize firmly," from Old English gripan "grasp at, lay hold, attack, take, seek to get hold of," from Proto-Germanic *gripan, a word of uncertain origin, perhaps (Watkins) from PIE root *ghreib- "to grip" (source also of Lithuanian griebiu, griebti "to seize").

Germanic cognates include Old Saxon gripan, Old Norse gripa, Dutch grijpen, Gothic greipan, Old High German grifan, German greifen "to seize."

The figurative sense of "complain, grouse" is attested by 1932, probably from earlier meaning "produce a gripping pain in the bowels" (c. 1600; compare belly-ache). Related: Griped; griping.

gripe(n.)

late 14c., "a fast hold, clutch, grasp," from gripe (v.). From c. 1600 as "cramp, pain in the bowels" (earlier of pangs of grief, etc., 1540s). Figurative sense of "a complaint" is by 1934.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to gripe

belly-ache(n.)

also bellyache, 1590s, "pain in the bowels," from belly (n.) + ache (n.). The verb in the slang sense of "complain" is recorded by 1888, American English; it appears not to have been used earlier than that, if ever, in a literal sense. Related: bellyached; bellyaching.

grip(v.)

Old English grippan "to grip, seize, obtain" (class I strong verb; past tense grap, past participle gripen), from West Germanic *greipanan (source also of Old High German gripfen "to rob," Old English gripan "to seize;" see gripe (v.)). Related: Gripped; gripping. French gripper "to seize," griffe "claw" are Germanic loan-words.

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grippe
"epidemic influenza," 1776, probably from French grippe "influenza," originally "seizure," verbal noun from gripper "to grasp, hook," from Frankish or another Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *gripanan (see grip (v.), gripe (v.)). Supposedly in reference to constriction of th
grope
late Old English grapian "to feel about (as one blind or in darkness)," also "take hold of, seize, touch, attain," related to gripan "grasp at" (see gripe (v.)). The transitive sense of "search out by sense of touch alone" was in late Old English. The figurative sense is from ear
grouse
type of game bird, 1530s, grows (plural, used collectively), of unknown origin, possibly from Latin or Welsh. Originally the moorhen of the British Isles; later the name was extended to similar birds in other places...."complain," 1885 (implied in agent noun grouser), British Arm
crab
popular name for a stalk-eyed, short-tailed, ten-legged crustacean, Middle English crabbe, from Old English crabba, from Proto-Germanic *krabbo- (source also of Dutch krab, Old High German krebiz, German Krabbe, Old Norse krabbi "crab"), related to Low German krabben, Dutch krabe
complain
late 14c., compleinen, "lament, bewail, grieve," also "find fault, express dissatisfaction, criticize," also "make a formal accusation or charge to an authority," from stem of Old French complaindre "to lament" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *complangere, originally "to beat the breas
plain
c. 1300, "flat, smooth," from Old French plain "flat, smooth, even" (12c.), from Latin planus "flat, even, level" (from PIE root *pele- (2) "flat; to spread"). Sense of "explicit, clear, evident" is from late 14c.; that of "free from obstruction" is mid-14c.; meaning "simple, sin
objection
late 14c., objeccioun, "argument against the validity of a proposition or line of reasoning," from Old French objeccion "reply, retort" (12c.) and directly from Late Latin obiectionem (nominative obiectio), "a throwing or putting before" (in Medieval Latin "an objection"), noun o
perfection
early 13c., perfeccioun, "consummate state or form, that degree of excellence which leaves nothing to be desired," from Old French perfection "perfection, completeness" (12c.), from Latin perfectionem (nominative perfectio) "a finishing, completing, perfection," noun of action fr
skeptic
also sceptic, 1580s, "member of an ancient Greek school that doubted the possibility of real knowledge," from French sceptique and directly from Latin scepticus "the sect of the Skeptics," from Greek skeptikos (plural Skeptikoi "the Skeptics, followers of Pyrrho"), noun use of ad
riffraff
also riff-raff, late 15c., "persons of disreputable character or low degree," from earlier rif and raf (Anglo-French rif et raf) "one and all, everybody; every scrap, everything," also "sweepings, refuse, things of small value" (mid-14c.), from Old French rif et raf, from rifler

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