Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “closet” come from?

closet (Middle English) comes from Old French closet, from Old French clos, from Latin clausus, from Latin claudere, from Latin claudo, from Proto-Italic klaudō — close.

Ancestry of “closet”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchclosetsmall enclosed area, such as a field or a paddock
2Old Frenchclosenclosed outdoor area, such as a field or a...
3Latinclaususclosed, inaccessible; having been closed;...
4Latinclauderepresent active infinitive of claudō;...
5LatinclaudoI shut, close, lock; I imprison, confine; I...
6Proto-Italicklaudōclose

Words derived from “closet”

  • closet
  • closeted
  • closetful
  • closetedness
  • closetlike
  • closety
  • uncloseted
  • cybercloset
  • closet auger
  • closetedly
  • linen closet
  • Closetgate
  • clóset
  • Klosett
  • Katzenklo
  • Klopapier
  • Klo
  • klozet
  • klozet
  • closet
Every word from Proto-Italic klaudō →