Where does “cletch” come from?
cletch (English) comes from Middle English cleken, from Middle English clechen, from Old English clēċan, from Old English clyċċan, from Proto-Germanic klukjaną, from Proto-Germanic klu-, from Proto-Indo-European glew-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- — to swallow; swallow.
Ancestry of “cletch”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cleken | to seize, clutch; to hatch |
| 2 | Middle English | clechen | to grab |
| 3 | Old English | clēċan | — |
| 4 | Old English | clyċċan | to clutch, clench |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | klukjaną | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | klu- | to ball up, conglomerate, amass |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | glew- | Alternative form of *gley-; to amass,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵel- | to swallow; swallow |