An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Graus

by Friedrich Kluge

Graus, neuter, ‘horror, dread,’ from Middle High German grûs, masculine, ‘dread, terror’; allied to Modern High German grausen, Middle High German grûsen, griusen, Old High German grûwisôn, grûsôn, ‘to be terrified’; formed from the suffix -isôn and the root grû. See Gräuel, where grausam is also discussed.