Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “close” come from?

Close comes from French clos, from Latin clausum (past participle of claudere, meaning to shut or close), ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European kel-.

close (English): To remove a gap; To finish, to terminate; To come...

Definitions

  1. To remove a gap; To finish, to terminate; To come...

Ancestry of “close”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishclosento close, enclose
2Old Englishclȳsanto close, shut
3Old Englishklūsijanto close, shut in
4Latinclausumenclosed space, enclosure; nominative neuter...
5Latinclaususclosed, inaccessible; having been closed;...
6Latinclauderepresent active infinitive of claudō;...
7LatinclaudoI shut, close, lock; I imprison, confine; I...
8Proto-Italicklaudōclose

Words derived from “close”

  • closely
  • closer
  • closing
  • closeness
  • unclose
  • closemouthed
  • reclose
  • preclosing
  • closeth
  • recloser
  • closable
  • closereefed
  • closeby
  • closefisted
  • reclosable
  • closeminded
  • closeable
  • closen
  • closemindedness
  • closish
  • closehanded
  • nonclosing
  • recloseable
  • closability
Every word from Proto-Italic klaudō →