Where does “clothespin” come from?
clothespin (English) comes from English clothes, from Middle English cloþes, from Middle English cloþ, from Old English clāþ, from Proto-Germanic klaiþą, from Proto-Indo-European gleyt-, from Proto-Indo-European gley-, from Proto-Indo-European gel- — to be cold, to freeze.
clothespin (English): A clip or fastener used to secure garments to a...
Definitions
- A clip or fastener used to secure garments to a...
Ancestry of “clothespin”, step by step
clothespin traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English clothes
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | clothes | Items of clothing; apparel; plural of cloth; The... |
| 2 | Middle English | cloþes | Alternative form of clothes |
| 3 | Middle English | cloþ | Alternative form of cloth; cloth, garment |
| 4 | Old English | clāþ | cloth, clothes, covering, sail |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | klaiþą | cloth |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gleyt- | to cling to, cleave, stick |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gley- | to glue, paste, stick together; to glue, stick... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gel- | to be cold, to freeze |