An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Grieß
Grieß, masculine and neuter, ‘gravel, groats,’ from Middle High German grieȥ (grûȥ), masculine and neuter, ‘grain of sand, sand, gravel’; the Modern High German sense has not yet been found in Middle High German (yet late Middle High German grieȥmël, ‘coarse ground flour’), Old High German grioȥ, masculine and neuter, ‘sand, gravel’; corresponding to Old Saxon griot, Anglo-Saxon greôt, ‘sand,’ Old Icelandic grjót, ‘stones.’ On the Old German meaning of these cognates are based Italian greto, ‘stony bed of a river,’ and French grès, ‘sandstone,’ grêle, ‘hail.’ The Modern High German signification is connected with the closely allied cognates of Grüße.