Where does “clove” come from?
clove (Middle English) comes from Middle English clowe, from Old French clou, from Latin clāvus, from Proto-Italic klāwos, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kleh₂w-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...
clove (Middle English): clove; Alternative form of clowe; Alternative...
Definitions
- clove; Alternative form of clowe; Alternative...
Ancestry of “clove”, step by step
clove traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English clowe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | clowe | A clove; Alternative form of clove; Alternative... |
| 2 | Old French | clou | — |
| 3 | Latin | clāvus | a nail (metal spike) |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | klāwos | capable of closing something |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kleh₂w- | a hook, crook, peg |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |