Where does “glue” come from?
Glue comes from Old French glu, from Latin gluten meaning sticky substance, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European gʰel- meaning to stick or congeal.
glue (English): A hard gelatin made by boiling bones and hides,...
Definitions
- A hard gelatin made by boiling bones and hides,...
Ancestry of “glue”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | glue | Alternative form of glew; Alternative form of... |
| 2 | Old French | glu | glue, birdlime |
| 3 | Latin | glūten | glue |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | gloiten | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | glóh₁ytn̥ | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gleh₁y- | to smear, putty; to stick, glue |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gleh₁- | ball, lump |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gewl- | vessel; ball; vessel, bowl, ball; ball, bowl,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gēw- | to bend, arch |