## Etymology
Back-formation from groveling (originally an adverb), from Middle English on grufe ('on the face, prone'), from Old Norse a grufu ('face down'), reanalyzed as a present participle.

## AI Etymology
Grovel is a back-formation from groveling (originally an adverb), from Middle English on grufe ('on the face, prone'), from Old Norse a grufu ('face down'), reanalyzed as a present participle. Its formation runs backward from an existing longer form, producing a shorter base that then carries the same family of senses. As a verb, it means "to behave in a servile way; to crawl abjectly", so the modern sense keeps the older action or relation visible. Relevant historical forms include Old Norse á grúfu. Derivative forms include groveler, groveling.

## Topics
- Verbs of Movement

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grovel

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