Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “click” come from?

Click comes from Middle English cleken, from Old Norse klekja, from Proto-Germanic klukjaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European glew-.

click (English): A brief, sharp, not particularly loud, relatively...

Definitions

  1. A brief, sharp, not particularly loud, relatively...

Ancestry of “click”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishclekento seize, clutch; to hatch
2Middle Englishclechento grab
3Old Englishclēċan—
4Old Englishclyċċanto clutch, clench
5Proto-Germanicklukjaną—
6Proto-Germanicklu-to ball up, conglomerate, amass
7Proto-Indo-Europeanglew-Alternative form of *gley-; to amass,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵel-to swallow; swallow

Words derived from “click”

  • clicker
  • clickstream
  • clickety
  • clickthrough
  • clickwrap
  • clickity
  • clicky
  • unclick
  • mouseclick
  • clickless
  • keyclick
  • clickfest
  • clickbaity
  • clickiness
  • clickily
  • midclick
  • click wheel
  • autoclick
  • clickbait
  • misclick
  • клик
  • Clickbaiting
  • clicar
  • clickbait
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- →