Where does “client” come from?
client (French) comes from Latin cliēns, from Latin clueo, from Proto-Italic kluēō, from Proto-Indo-European ḱlew-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.
client (French): customer; client
Ancestry of “client”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | cliēns | — |
| 2 | Latin | clueo | I am called or named; I am reputed |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | kluēō | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlew- | to hear |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |