Where does “clodpole” come from?
clodpole (English) comes from English clod, from Middle English clod, from Middle English clot, from Old English clott, from Proto-Germanic klūtaz, from Proto-Indo-European gelewdos, from Indo-European *gel-.
clodpole (English): a stupid person; blockhead
Definitions
- a stupid person; blockhead
Ancestry of “clodpole”, step by step
clodpole traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English clod
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | clod | A lump of something, especially of earth or clay;... |
| 2 | Middle English | clod | A clod; a ball of earth or clay; A clot or clump... |
| 3 | Middle English | clot | A clod; a ball of earth or clay; The ground; the... |
| 4 | Old English | clott | round mass, lump |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | klūtaz | lump, clod; boulder, rock; hill |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gelewdos | — |
| 7 | Indo-European | *gel- | — |
via English Pole
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Pole | A person from Poland or of Polish descent |
| 2 | Middle English | pole | pole, stake, staff |
| 3 | Old French | poule | hen |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | pulla | nominative feminine singular of pullus;... |
| 5 | Latin | pullus | A young animal; darling; dark-colored; dusky |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | polHwós | pale, gray |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pelH- | pale, gray |