Where does “clay” come from?
Clay derives from Middle English cley, from Old English clǣġ, from Proto-West Germanic klaij, from Proto-Germanic klajjaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱley-.
clay (English): A mineral substance made up of small crystals of...
Definitions
- A mineral substance made up of small crystals of...
Ancestry of “clay”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cley | clay, plaster, or earth like clay; Any earth or... |
| 2 | Old English | clǣġ | clay |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | klaij | clay |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | klajjaz | clay |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | *gley- | — |
Words derived from “clay”