Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “clingen” come from?

clingen (Middle English) comes from Old English clingan, from Proto-Germanic klinganą, from Proto-Indo-European glengʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European gal- — to call, cry; to sound; to roop, scream, shout.

clingen (Middle English): To solidify; to adhere as to form a mass; To...

Definitions

  1. To solidify; to adhere as to form a mass; To...

Ancestry of “clingen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishclinganto whither, pine, shrink up, shrink together from...
2Proto-Germanicklinganąto sound; to adhere to, cling to
3Proto-Indo-Europeanglengʰ-sound
4Proto-Indo-Europeangal-to call, cry; to sound; to roop, scream, shout

Words derived from “clingen”

  • cling
  • clingy
  • clingstone
  • clingfilm
  • clinginess
  • clingeth
  • clinger
  • clingest
  • clingfish
  • clingwrap
  • uncling
  • clingfilmed
  • clingily
  • anticling
  • noncling
  • unclingy
  • clingsome
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gal- →