Where does “housecleaning” come from?
Housecleaning combines English house with English cleaning, itself from Middle English -en, ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to cover or enclose.
housecleaning (English): Collectively, the tasks involved with cleaning a...
Definitions
- Collectively, the tasks involved with cleaning a...
Ancestry of “housecleaning”, step by step
housecleaning traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English houseclean
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | houseclean | To clean the interior and furnishings of a... |
| 2 | English | clean | "Free of dirt or impurities or protruberances.";... |
| 3 | Middle English | clene | clean |
| 4 | Old English | clǣne | pure, clear; clean, pure |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | klainiz | shining, fine, splendid; tender, precious |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | g(e)lēi- | gleaming |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵel- | to swallow; swallow |
via English cleaning
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cleaning | present participle of clean; The process of... |