Where does “cloakroom” come from?
cloakroom (English) comes from English cloak, from Middle English cloke, from Middle Dutch clocke, from Old Dutch *clocca, from Proto-West Germanic *klokkā, from Medieval Latin clocca, from Old Irish cloc, from Proto-Celtic klokkos.
cloakroom (English): A room intended for holding guests' cloaks and...
Definitions
- A room intended for holding guests' cloaks and...
Ancestry of “cloakroom”, step by step
cloakroom traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English cloak
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cloak | A long outer garment worn over the shoulders... |
| 2 | Middle English | cloke | Alternative form of clokke; cloak, cape; claw,... |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | clocke | bell; something bell-shaped |
| 4 | Old Dutch | *clocca | bell |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *klokkā | bell |
| 6 | Medieval Latin | clocca | bell; travelers' cape, literally “a bell”, so... |
| 7 | Old Irish | cloc | bell; clock |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | klokkos | bell |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | klēg- | — |
via English room
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | room | Opportunity or scope; Space "for" something, or... |
| 2 | Middle English | roum | A space or area; A room |
| 3 | Old English | rūm | room, space; roomy, spacious, ample, extensive,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | rūm | roomy, spacious; room, open space |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rūmaz | roomy, spacious, open |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | rewh₁- | free space |