Where does “clock” come from?
Clock comes from Old English cloccian, from Proto-Germanic klukkwōną, whose ultimate origin and meaning remain uncertain.
clock (English): An instrument used to measure or keep track of...
Definitions
- An instrument used to measure or keep track of...
Ancestry of “clock”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | clokke | clock, timekeeping device |
| 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- | — |