Where does “clothes” come from?
Clothes derives from English clothe plus the English plural suffix -s, from Middle English -s, from Proto-Germanic klaiþą meaning "to stick or adhere," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gel- meaning "to ball up or wind."
clothes (English): Items of clothing; apparel; plural of cloth; The...
Definitions
- Items of clothing; apparel; plural of cloth; The...
Ancestry of “clothes”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cloþes | Alternative form of clothes |
| 2 | Middle English | cloþ | Alternative form of cloth; cloth, garment |
| 3 | Old English | clāþ | cloth, clothes, covering, sail |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | klaiþą | cloth |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gleyt- | to cling to, cleave, stick |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gley- | to glue, paste, stick together; to glue, stick... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gel- | to be cold, to freeze |