Where does “clingy” come from?
Clingy derives from English cling plus the Middle English suffix -y, from Middle French -ie, Latin -ia, Latin -ivus, and Proto-Indo-European -kos, forming an adjective meaning "tending to adhere or hold fast."
clingy (English): Having a tendency to cling; Pathetically attached...
Definitions
- Having a tendency to cling; Pathetically attached...
Ancestry of “clingy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | -y | Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives... |
| 2 | Middle English | -y | Designates an adjective, in many cases formed by... |
| 3 | Old English | -iġ | -y, -ic |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | -g | Forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -gaz | -y |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |
Words derived from “clingy”