Where does “clam” come from?
Clam derives from Middle English clam, from Old English clǣman, from Old English climban, from Proto-Germanic klimbaną, from Proto-Indo-European gleybʰ-, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European gel-.
clam (English): A bivalve mollusk of many kinds, especially those...
Definitions
- A bivalve mollusk of many kinds, especially those...
Ancestry of “clam”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | clam | pincers, vice, clamp; viscous, sticky; slimy |
| 2 | Old English | clām | clay, mud; paste, mortar, mud, clay, poultice |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *klaim | clay, mortar |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | klaimaz | clay, mortar |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gleh₁y- | to smear, putty; to stick, glue |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gleh₁- | ball, lump |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gewl- | vessel; ball; vessel, bowl, ball; ball, bowl,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gēw- | to bend, arch |