[1] The word "grass" (O. Eng. _gaers_, _graes_) is common to Teutonic
languages, cf. Dutch Ger. Goth, _gras_, Dan. _graes_; the root is the
O. Teut. _gra_-, _gro_-, to increase, whence "grow," and "green," the
typical colour of growing vegetation. The Indo-European root is seen
in Lat. _gramen_. The O. Eng. _grasian_, formed from _graes_, gives
"to graze," of cattle feeding on growing herbage, also "grazier," one
who grazes or feeds cattle for the market; "to graze," to abrade, to
touch lightly in passing, may be a development of this from the idea
of close cropping; if it is to be distinguished a possible connexion
may be found with "glace" (Fr. _glacer_, glide, slip, Lat. _glacies_,
ice), to glance off, the change in form being influenced by "grate,"
to scrape, scratch (Fr. _gratter_, Ger. _kratzen_).