Where does “gleaw” come from?
gleaw (Middle English) comes from Middle English gleu, from Old English glēaw, from Proto-West Germanic *glauw, from Proto-Germanic glawwaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰlew-, from Proto-Indo-European gʰel- — to call; to chant; to shout.
gleaw (Middle English): Alternative form of gleu
Ancestry of “gleaw”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | gleu | knowledgeable, adept, skilled, judicious, kind;... |
| 2 | Old English | glēaw | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *glauw | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | glawwaz | wise; prudent; wary; circumspect; perceptive |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰlew- | to be glad; jest; joke; to joke, make fun, enjoy;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰel- | to call; to chant; to shout |