Where does “cleave” come from?
Cleave comes from Middle English cleven, from Old English cleofian, from Proto-Germanic kleubaną, from Proto-Indo-European gley-, ultimately deriving from the root gel- meaning to grip or hold.
cleave (English): To split or sever something with, or as if with,...
Definitions
- To split or sever something with, or as if with,...
Ancestry of “cleave”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cleven | To cleave; to split or slice through; To break... |
| 2 | Old English | clēofian | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | klibēn | to stick, to adhere |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | klibāną | to stick, to adhere |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gleybʰ- | to stick |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gley- | to glue, paste, stick together; to glue, stick... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gel- | to be cold, to freeze |