Where does “clincher” come from?
Clincher comes from English clinch, derived from Old French -er and Latin -are, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gley-, meaning to grasp or hold.
clincher (English): That which clinches; that which makes something...
Definitions
- That which clinches; that which makes something...
Ancestry of “clincher”, step by step
clincher traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English clinch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | clinch | To clasp; to interlock; To make certain; to... |
| 2 | English | clench | To grip or hold fast; To close tightly; Tight... |
| 3 | Middle English | clenchen | — |
| 4 | Old English | clenċan | to clinch; hold fast |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | klangijaną | to make stick, to make cling |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gleh₁y- | to smear, putty; to stick, glue |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gleh₁- | ball, lump |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gewl- | vessel; ball; vessel, bowl, ball; ball, bowl,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gēw- | to bend, arch |
via German Klinker
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Klinker | clinker |
| 2 | Dutch | klinker | clinker brick; any kind of brick used for... |
| 3 | Dutch | klinken | to sound; to clink glasses; to nail, to rivet, to... |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | clingen | to sound, to resound; to cling, to stick; to... |
| 5 | Old Dutch | clingan | to sound |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | klinganą | to sound; to adhere to, cling to |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | glengʰ- | sound |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gal- | to call, cry; to sound; to roop, scream, shout |
via French clinker
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | clinker | clinker |