Grating
/ˈɡreɪ.tɪŋ/noun
A framework of crossed or parallel bars, or something harshly irritating to the senses.
Did you know?The word preserves two historical paths: a physical grating comes from an old word for a woven barrier, while “grating” as irritating comes from the sensation of abrasive friction.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kert-
“To twist, weave, or make a wicker framework; a proposed ancestor of the Latin word for a hurdle or lattice.”
Classical Latin
Latin
crātis
“A wickerwork frame, hurdle, or lattice.”
12th Century
Old French
grate
“A grating or lattice of bars, borrowed from the Latin tradition.”
14th Century
Middle English
graten
“To scrape, rub, or irritate; from Old French forms related to scratching.”
16th Century
English
grating
“A framework of bars; also something that scrapes or produces an unpleasant sensation.”
Modern English
English
grating
“A barred framework, or harshly irritating in sound, texture, or manner.”