Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “cley” come from?

cley (Middle English) comes from Old English clǣġ, from Proto-West Germanic klaij, from Proto-Germanic klajjaz, from Proto-Indo-European *gley-.

cley (Middle English): clay, plaster, or earth like clay; Any earth or...

Definitions

  1. clay, plaster, or earth like clay; Any earth or...

Ancestry of “cley”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishclǣġclay
2Proto-West Germanicklaijclay
3Proto-Germanicklajjazclay
4Proto-Indo-European*gley-—

Words derived from “cley”

  • clay
  • clayey
  • claystone
  • pipeclay
  • organoclay
  • claylike
  • claypan
  • clayish
  • underclay
  • clayware
  • nonclay
  • clayiness
  • clayen
  • clayfield
  • clayeyness
  • claycourt
  • nonclayey
  • clayless
  • claybed
  • paper clay
  • claykicker
  • clayishness
  • cleyye
  • cleyen
Every word from Proto-Indo-European *gley- →