Middle English word greten comes from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁d-, and later Proto-Germanic *grētaną (To weep, to cry.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *ǵʰreh₁d- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *grētaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To weep, to cry. |
| *grōtijaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To address (an individual); greet. To address (an issue). To cause to weep; make cry. To scold. |
| grǣtan | Old English (ang) | |
| grētan | Old English (ang) | |
| greten | Middle English (enm) |