Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “clothier” come from?

Clothier comes from Middle English clother plus the agent suffix -er (from Old French -er, Latin -are, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European gel-), denoting one who makes or sells cloth.

clothier (English): A person who makes or sells cloth or clothing

Definitions

  1. A person who makes or sells cloth or clothing

Ancestry of “clothier”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishclothA woven fabric such as used in dressing,...
2Middle EnglishcloþAlternative form of cloth; cloth, garment
3Old Englishclāþcloth, clothes, covering, sail
4Proto-Germanicklaiþącloth
5Proto-Indo-Europeangleyt-to cling to, cleave, stick
6Proto-Indo-Europeangley-to glue, paste, stick together; to glue, stick...
7Proto-Indo-Europeangel-to be cold, to freeze
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gel- →