Where does “clerklike” come from?
clerklike (English) comes from English like, from Dutch luik, from Middle Dutch luke, from Dutch luiken, from Middle Dutch luken, from Old Dutch lūcan, from Proto-West Germanic lūkan, from Proto-Germanic lūkaną — to break, tear; to break, shatter.
clerklike (English): Resembling a clerk or some aspect of one; tidy,...
Definitions
- Resembling a clerk or some aspect of one; tidy,...
Ancestry of “clerklike”, step by step
clerklike traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English like
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | like | To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of;... |
| 2 | Dutch | luik | hatch; shutter; panel, as in a triptych |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | luke | — |
| 4 | Dutch | luiken | to close, to shut |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | luken | to close, to shut; to close, to become closed |
| 6 | Old Dutch | lūcan | to close, shut |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | lūkan | to close, to shut |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | lūkaną | to close, to shut; Alternative form of *leukaną |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | lewǵ- | to break, tear; to break, shatter |
via English clerk
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | clerk | One who occupationally works with records,... |
| 2 | Middle English | clerc | a clergyman, usually in Christianity |
| 3 | Old English | clerc | clergyman, clerk |
| 4 | Latin | clēricus | a priest, clergyman or clergywoman, cleric |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | κληρικός | of or pertaining to clergy; clerical; clergyman |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -ικός | of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -κός | forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |