Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “headcloth” come from?

headcloth (English) comes from Old English heafodclaþ, 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.

headcloth (English): Any form of headwear consisting of a piece of...

Definitions

  1. Any form of headwear consisting of a piece of...

Ancestry of “headcloth”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishheafodclaþ—
2Old Englishclāþcloth, clothes, covering, sail
3Proto-Germanicklaiþącloth
4Proto-Indo-Europeangleyt-to cling to, cleave, stick
5Proto-Indo-Europeangley-to glue, paste, stick together; to glue, stick...
6Proto-Indo-Europeangel-to be cold, to freeze
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gel- →