An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Greif

by Friedrich Kluge

Greif, m., ‘griffin,’ from the equiv. MidHG. grîf, grîfe, OHG. grîf, grîfo, m. Whether the word was adopted from Greek through an Eastern source before the 8th cent. (hence the change of p into f) is questionable; in any case, Gr. γρύψ, ‘griffin’ (stem γρῦπ; ν in the Byzantine and modern pronunciation equal to î; comp. Leier), must be regarded as the final source of Greif; see also Drache. Chiefly through the legends concerning Duke Ernst the griffin became popular in Germany, though not among the other Teutons. In Romance too the bird is similarly named — Ital. griffo, griffone, Fr. griffon (E. griffin). Hence OHG. grîfo and its Romance correspondences are probably to be traced back to a MidLat. grîphus, derived from the Greek word; comp. also OIr. gríf. Since, moreover, the belief in fabulous birds that carry off men is genuinely Teut., a Teut. form *grîpo, ‘snatcher’ (allied to greifen), may have been combined with γρῦπ-.