Where does “smallclothes” come from?
smallclothes (English) comes from English clothes, from Middle English cloþes, from Middle English cloþ, 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.
smallclothes (English): Knee-length breeches, worn especially in the 18th...
Definitions
- Knee-length breeches, worn especially in the 18th...
Ancestry of “smallclothes”, step by step
smallclothes traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English clothes
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | clothes | Items of clothing; apparel; plural of cloth; The... |
| 2 | Middle English | cloþes | Alternative form of clothes |
| 3 | Middle English | cloþ | Alternative form of cloth; cloth, garment |
| 4 | Old English | clāþ | cloth, clothes, covering, sail |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | klaiþą | cloth |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gleyt- | to cling to, cleave, stick |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gley- | to glue, paste, stick together; to glue, stick... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gel- | to be cold, to freeze |
via English Small
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Small | Not large or big; insignificant; few in number |
| 2 | Middle English | smal | Small, miniscule; Little, few, scarce; Ground... |
| 3 | Old English | smæl | narrow, slim; not broad; slender; not thick;... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | smal | small |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | smalaz | small |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mal- | small; little |