Where does “clewless” come from?
clewless (English) comes from English clew, from Middle English clew, from Old English clēowen, from Proto-Germanic kliuwiną, from Proto-Indo-European glew-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- — to swallow; swallow.
clewless (English): Without a clew
Ancestry of “clewless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | clew | A roughly spherical mass or body; A ball of... |
| 2 | Middle English | clew | Alternative form of clewe |
| 3 | Old English | clēowen | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kliuwiną | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | glew- | Alternative form of *gley-; to amass,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵel- | to swallow; swallow |