Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “glaive” come from?

glaive (Middle English) comes from Old French glaive, from Latin glavus, from Latin gladius, from Gaulish kladyos, from Proto-Celtic kladiwos, from Proto-Indo-European ḱelh₂- — to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab.

glaive (Middle English): weapon with a long shaft ending in a point or...

Definitions

  1. weapon with a long shaft ending in a point or...

Ancestry of “glaive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchglaivesword
2Latinglavus—
3Latingladiussword; murder, death; a gladiatorial contest
4Gaulishkladyossword
5Proto-Celtickladiwossword
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱelh₂-to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab

Words derived from “glaive”

  • glaive
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱelh₂- →