Where does “clown” come from?
clown (Italian) comes from English clown, from English clowne, from Old Welsh *Colün, from Old English īeġ, from Proto-West Germanic auwju, from Proto-Germanic awjō, from Proto-Germanic agwjō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ékʷeh₂ — water.
clown (Italian): clown artist
Definitions
- clown artist
Ancestry of “clown”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | clown | A slapstick performance artist often associated... |
| 2 | English | clowne | OS grid ref SK4975 |
| 3 | Old Welsh | *Colün | — |
| 4 | Old English | īeġ | island |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | auwju | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | awjō | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | agwjō | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ékʷeh₂ | water |