Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “watchclock” come from?

watchclock (English) comes from English clock, from Middle English clokke, from Middle Dutch clocke, from Old Dutch *clocca, from Proto-West Germanic *klokkā, from Medieval Latin clocca, from Old Irish cloc, from Proto-Celtic klokkos.

watchclock (English): Synonym of watchman's detector

Definitions

  1. Synonym of watchman's detector

Ancestry of “watchclock”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishclockAn instrument used to measure or keep track of...
2Middle Englishclokkeclock, timekeeping device
3Middle Dutchclockebell; something bell-shaped
4Old Dutch*clocca—
5Proto-West Germanic*klokkā—
6Medieval Latincloccabell; travelers' cape, literally “a bell”, so...
7Old Irishclocbell; clock
8Proto-Celticklokkosbell
9Proto-Indo-Europeanklēg-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European klēg- →