Etymologically
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gros

Etymology and origin of the French word gros

History Permalink
Confidence
Probable
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 1100, Chanson de Roland
Inherited from
Latin grossus via Old French
Ultimate origin
Late Latin (grossus)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin grossus
French gros

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɡʁo/[1]

Forms

gros (feminine grosse, masculine plural gros, feminine plural grosses)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French gros, inherited from Late Latin grossus (“thick, coarse”), a popular word of imperial and Christian Latin, also “rough, coarse”.[2][3][4][5][1] Bloch and Wartburg note that it replaced crassus (“thick”), which had itself displaced pinguis (“fat”).[4][6] Rey and the Grand Robert see “grossus” as an altered form of “crassus”, whose source gras it parallels, the vowel “o” better suggesting bulk, Etymonline reports that the link is denied by others and calls the word of obscure origin.[3][7][8]

Littré thought the Berry forms “grôt”, “groût” came from Germanic, comparing German groß.[9] Cognate with Italian grosso, Spanish grueso and Portuguese grosso.[4][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

About 1100 the Chanson de Roland uses it of size: La hanste en fu grosse come uns tinel “its shaft was as thick as a club”.[2][9]

Semantic evolution

The feminine grosse meant “pregnant” by 1130–40, whence grossesse; the eyes are gros with weeping in the late 12th century, and avoir le cœur gros dates from about 1165.[2][3] About 1150 it meant “coarse, rude”: gros moz, rude words.[2] From about 1210 it meant important through rank or wealth (gros roi), whence grosse besogne (1306), le gros lot (1690), gros bonnet (late 17th century) and grosse légume (1832).[2][6][3]

As an intensifier it strengthens a noun: une grosse bête (1661–79); mon gros as an endearment dates from 1808.[2][3] Gros temps “stormy weather” is from the mid-13th century, faire le gros dos from 1718, les gros yeux from before 1784.[2] En gros “wholesale” goes back to the 13th century.[3][9] English gross was borrowed in the 14th century.[8]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Gros in the Chanson de Roland.[2]
  • 1130–1140 – Grosse “pregnant” in Wace.[2]
  • c. 1150 – Gros moz, rude words.[2]
  • c. 1165 – Le cuer gros.[2]
  • 13th century – Vendre en gros.[9][3]
  • 1283 – Grossesse.[4]
  • 1690 – Le gros lot.[2]
  • 1832 – Grosse légume.[6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Big, large, bulky: un gros nuage, une grosse valise.[10][1]
  2. fat, stout: un gros homme.[1][9]
  3. Thick, coarse: du gros sel, gros drap.[1][2]
  4. Important, considerable: un gros client, une grosse somme, le gros lot.[2][10]
  5. Intense, strong: une grosse fièvre, grosse voix.[2]
  6. Coarse, crude: un gros mot, a swearword.[2][1]
  7. (familiar, derogatory) Of a woman, pregnant.[1][2]

Adverb

  1. A lot: gagner gros, risquer gros, en avoir gros sur le cœur.[11]

Noun

  1. A fat person, (familiar) mon gros, a term of affection.[1][3]
  2. Le gros de: the bulk, the main part.[11][1]
  3. (commerce) Wholesale: le commerce de gros, en gros.[11]

Word family

  • engrosser
  • grossement
  • grosseur
  • grossièrement
  • grossièreté
  • grossier
  • dégrossir
  • grossissement
  • grossir
  • grossophobie
  • gras
  • grossesse
  • English gross

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 4, 274a
  6. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  9. ^ a b c d e f Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  10. ^ a b Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  11. ^ a b c Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Gros.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/gros. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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