1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 12… (1911)
“ The Old English word, represented by “groundsel,” appears in two forms, grundeswylige and gundæswelgiæ; of the first form the accepted derivation is from grund, ground, and swelgau, to swallow; a weed of such rapid growth would not inaptly be styled a “ground-swallower.” ”
