Where does “cliff” come from?
Cliff comes from Middle English clyf, from Old English clif, from Proto-Germanic klibą, of uncertain ultimate origin.
cliff (English): A vertical rock face; A point where something...
Definitions
- A vertical rock face; A point where something...
Ancestry of “cliff”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | clyf | A cliff; a heavily sloped hillside or... |
| 2 | Old English | clif | a cliff; a group of rocks or crag |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *klib | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | klibą | cliff, rock |
Words derived from “cliff”