Where does “clink” come from?
Clink comes from Middle English clinken, Old English clincan, Proto-Germanic klinganą, and Proto-Indo-European roots gley- and gel-, ultimately denoting a sharp sound or ringing noise.
clink (English): The sound of metal on metal, or glass on glass;...
Definitions
- The sound of metal on metal, or glass on glass;...
Ancestry of “clink”, step by step
clink traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English clench
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | clench | To grip or hold fast; To close tightly; Tight... |
| 2 | Middle English | clenchen | — |
| 3 | Old English | clenċan | to clinch; hold fast |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | klangijaną | to make stick, to make cling |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gleh₁y- | to smear, putty; to stick, glue |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gleh₁- | ball, lump |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gewl- | vessel; ball; vessel, bowl, ball; ball, bowl,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gēw- | to bend, arch |