German

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈɡʁɔɪlɪç/
  • Hyphenation: gräu‧lich
  • Audio:(file)

Etymology 1

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From grau (grey) +‎ -lich (-ish).

Adjective

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gräulich (strong nominative masculine singular gräulicher, comparative gräulicher, superlative am gräulichsten)

  1. greyish (somewhat grey)
Declension
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Etymology 2

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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

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Adjective

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gräulich (strong nominative masculine singular gräulicher, comparative gräulicher, superlative am gräulichsten)

  1. ghoulish, gruesome, horrible
Usage notes
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  • 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
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References

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