Grege
/ɡreɪʒ/noun
Raw silk that has not yet been dyed or fully processed.
Did you know?Grege belongs to the same Latin word family as “gregarious,” “segregate,” and “congregate,” all connected to the ancient idea of a flock or group.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ger-
“To gather or collect together; the reconstructed root behind words associated with grouping.”
Classical Latin
Latin
grex, gregis
“A flock, herd, or gathered group.”
Late Latin / Romance development
Latin
gregius
“Belonging to a flock or group; a source for Romance forms meaning raw or ordinary.”
Medieval Italian
Italian
greggia / greggio
“Raw silk; literally associated with something gathered or in an unprocessed state.”
Medieval French
Old French
grège
“Raw silk, borrowed from Italian.”
Modern English
English
grege
“Raw, undyed silk; a rare English form related to French grège.”
Explore more surprising origins