Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Clifton” come from?

Clifton (English) comes from Old English tūn, from Proto-West Germanic tūn, from Proto-Germanic tūną, from Gaulish dunum, from Proto-Celtic dūnom, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.

Ancestry of “Clifton”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishtūnenclosure, yard; place; dwelling
2Proto-West Germanictūnfence
3Proto-Germanictūnąfence; enclosure
4Gaulishdunumfort; hill, hillfort
5Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “Clifton”

  • Cliftonian
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →