Definition of the word gnaw

The word "gnaw" has its roots in Old English, specifically in the word "gnawan," which meant "to gnash." The Old English word "gnawan" derives from the Proto-Germanic root "*knawān," meaning "to gnash, grind, or chew." The Old English "gnawan" originally referred to the grinding or gnashing of teeth, as in the action of a person grinding their teeth in anger. Later, the meaning of the word expanded to include the more literal sense of "gnawning" or "gnawing" at something with the teeth, such as gnawing on a piece of food or a hard object. The Old English word "gnawan" gave rise to the Middle English "gnawen," which meant both "to grind the teeth" and "to nibble or gnaw." The spelling of the word evolved in Middle English, with various spellings including "gnawen," "gnawyn," and "gnawen," until the modern spelling of "gnaw" emerged in Early Modern English. The word "gnaw" has similar origins and meanings in other Germanic languages, such as the Old High German word "knahan," which meant "to gnash" or "gnaw," and the Old Frisian word "knawe," which meant "to gnaw." In summary, the word "gnaw" derived from the Old English "gnawan," which originally referred to the grinding or gnashing of teeth and later expanded to include the sense of "gnawing" or "gnawing" at something with the teeth. The word's origins can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic root "*knawān."