An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/gram

by Friedrich Kluge

gram, adjective, ‘adverse, hostile, vexed, angry,’ from Middle High German and Old High German gram, ‘angry, peevish, irritated, enraged’; corresponding to the equivalent Old Saxon gram, Dutch gram, Anglo-Saxon gram, Old Icelandic gramr. To Gothic *grama- (from pre-Teutonic ghromo-), Greek χρόμαδος, ‘gnashing’ (and χρεμέθω, Latin fremo, ‘I gnash’?), seem allied. From the Teutonic adjective is derived the Romance cognate, Italian gramo, ‘gloomy.’ — Gram, masculine, as a substantive even in Middle High German gram. From the same root. grimm is derived. See the latter word.