Middle English word grafe comes from Proto-Germanic *grabaną (To dig. To engrave, scratch.), Proto-Indo-European *gʰrābʰ-
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *grabaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To dig. To engrave, scratch. |
| *gʰrābʰ- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | to dig, scratch, scrape |
| *grabō | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| græf | Old English (ang) | Grave. |
| grov | Middle English (enm) |