Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “cleken” come from?

cleken (Middle English) comes from Middle English clechen, from Old English clēċan, from Old English clyċċan, from Proto-Germanic klukjaną, from Proto-Germanic klu-, from Proto-Indo-European glew-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- — to swallow; swallow.

cleken (Middle English): to seize, clutch; to hatch

Definitions

  1. to seize, clutch; to hatch

Ancestry of “cleken”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishclechento grab
2Old Englishclēċan—
3Old Englishclyċċanto clutch, clench
4Proto-Germanicklukjaną—
5Proto-Germanicklu-to ball up, conglomerate, amass
6Proto-Indo-Europeanglew-Alternative form of *gley-; to amass,...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵel-to swallow; swallow

Words derived from “cleken”

  • clutch
  • unclutch
  • declutch
  • clutchless
  • clutchy
  • clutcher
  • interclutch
  • clutchplate
  • cletch
  • clutchmate
  • cloche
  • cloch
  • clutch
  • cloche
  • clutch
  • clutch
  • klachi
  • cleek
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- →