Where does “enclave” come from?
Enclave comes from French enclave, from Middle French enclaver meaning to enclose, from Latin in and clavus meaning nail or key.
enclave (English): A political, cultural or social entity or part...
Definitions
- A political, cultural or social entity or part...
Ancestry of “enclave”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | enclave | enclave |
| 2 | Middle French | enclave | enclave |
| 3 | Old French | enclaver | to inclose, lock in |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | inclavare | to lock in |
| 5 | Late Latin | clavare | present active infinitive of clāvō; to fasten... |
| 6 | Latin | clāvus | a nail (metal spike) |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | klāwos | capable of closing something |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kleh₂w- | a hook, crook, peg |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |