Where does “cleaner” come from?
Cleaner derives from English clean plus the agent suffix -er, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gū-, which developed through Latin -arius and -are into Old French -er.
cleaner (English): A person whose occupation is to clean floors,...
Definitions
- A person whose occupation is to clean floors,...
Ancestry of “cleaner”, step by step
cleaner traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English clean
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | clean | "Free of dirt or impurities or protruberances.";... |
| 2 | Middle English | clene | clean |
| 3 | Old English | clǣne | pure, clear; clean, pure |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | klainiz | shining, fine, splendid; tender, precious |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | g(e)lēi- | gleaming |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵel- | to swallow; swallow |
via Middle English clener
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | clener | — |