Grunt
/ɡrʌnt/noun
To make a low, rough sound, or a low, rough sound itself.
Did you know?English *grunt* is an old imitative word, and its history shows how human languages often copy animal and bodily sounds first—before they ever become “proper” words.
Etymological Timeline
Late Middle English
English
grunt
“To make a low guttural sound; a pig-like noise”
16th Century
English
grunt
“A low, harsh sound, especially from a pig or a person”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*grunton-
“An imitative base for grunting or growling sounds”
Modern English
English
grunt
“To emit a low rough sound; also, a person who does hard, tedious work”