Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “miscleave” come from?

miscleave (English) comes from English cleave, from Middle English cleven, from Old English clēofian, from Proto-West Germanic klibēn, from Proto-Germanic klibāną, from Proto-Indo-European gleybʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European gley-, from Proto-Indo-European gel- — to be cold, to freeze.

miscleave (English): To cleave wrongly

Definitions

  1. To cleave wrongly

Ancestry of “miscleave”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcleaveTo split or sever something with, or as if with,...
2Middle EnglishclevenTo cleave; to split or slice through; To break...
3Old Englishclēofian—
4Proto-West Germanicklibēnto stick, to adhere
5Proto-Germanicklibānąto stick, to adhere
6Proto-Indo-Europeangleybʰ-to stick
7Proto-Indo-Europeangley-to glue, paste, stick together; to glue, stick...
8Proto-Indo-Europeangel-to be cold, to freeze
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gel- →