gräulich
German edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
From grau (“grey”) + -lich (“-ish”).
Adjective edit
gräulich (strong nominative masculine singular gräulicher, comparative gräulicher, superlative am gräulichsten)
- greyish (somewhat grey)
Declension edit
Positive forms of gräulich
Comparative forms of gräulich
Superlative forms of gräulich
Etymology 2 edit
From Middle High German griulich, griuwelich, from griuwel, griule, griul (modern Gräuel (“horror, atrocity”)). Compare Dutch gruwelijk; also related with English gruesome.
The spelling greulich, which formerly distinguished this word from etymology 1, was abolished in order to adjust it and Greuel (“atrocity”) to related words with -au- (like Grauen).
Alternative forms edit
- greulich (pre-1996)
Adjective edit
gräulich (strong nominative masculine singular gräulicher, comparative gräulicher, superlative am gräulichsten)
Usage notes edit
- The spelling gräulich has been the prescribed spelling since the German spelling reform of 1996 (the Rechtschreibreform). In the affected areas, the previous spelling (greulich) is now less common, and may be regarded as a misspelling.
Declension edit
Positive forms of gräulich
Comparative forms of gräulich
Superlative forms of gräulich
Related terms edit
References edit
- “gräulich, grau, dunkel” in Duden online
- “gräulich, abscheulich, schrecklich” in Duden online
- “gräulich” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache