gräulich

German

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɡʁɔʏ̯lɪç/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: gräu‧lich

Etymology 1

From grau (grey) +‎ -lich (-ish).

Adjective

gräulich (strong nominative masculine singular gräulicher, comparative gräulicher, superlative am gräulichsten)

  1. greyish (somewhat grey)
Declension

Etymology 2

From Middle High German griulich, griuwelich, from griuwel, griule, griul (modern Gräuel (horror, atrocity)). Compare Dutch gruwelijk; also related with English gruesome.

The spelling greulich, which formerly distinguished this word from etymology 1, was abolished in order to adjust it to related words with -au- (like Grauen).

Alternative forms

Adjective

gräulich (strong nominative masculine singular gräulicher, comparative gräulicher, superlative am gräulichsten)

  1. ghoulish, gruesome, horrible
Usage notes
  • The spelling gräulich has been the prescribed spelling since the German spelling reform of 1996 (the Rechtschreibreform). In the affected areas, the previous spelling (greulich) is now less common, and may be regarded as a misspelling.
Declension

References