Where does “cloak” come from?
Cloak comes from Middle English cloke, from Middle Dutch clocke, from Old Dutch klokka, originally meaning a bell-shaped garment.
cloak (English): A long outer garment worn over the shoulders...
Definitions
- A long outer garment worn over the shoulders...
Ancestry of “cloak”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cloke | Alternative form of clokke; cloak, cape; claw,... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | clocke | bell; something bell-shaped |
| 3 | Old Dutch | *clocca | bell |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *klokkā | bell |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | clocca | bell; travelers' cape, literally “a bell”, so... |
| 6 | Old Irish | cloc | bell; clock |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | klokkos | bell |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | klēg- | — |