"grue" being an archaic word for "crane"
Is it in English?
Gru is the only word for that animal in Italian even now. And also for the big building tool similar in shape to a gru.
An American friend of mine was very interested in such tools in Italy, since - he said - we have even small ones - 6 meters high, for example. In America he has seen just huge cranes. I suppose that it depends on the fact that the ways of building are different, we use concrete and bricks even for small buildings, wood is tooooo expensive.