Where does “clef” come from?

clef (Middle French) comes from Old French clef, from Latin clāvis, from Ancient Greek κλείς, from Proto-Hellenic klāwī́ds, from Proto-Indo-European kleh₂u- — nail, pin, hook - instruments, of old use for...

clef (Middle French): key

Definitions

  1. key

Ancestry of “clef”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchclefkey
2Latinclāvisa key
3Ancient GreekκλείςSomething used to lock/unlock: key, bolt, bar; A...
4Proto-Hellenicklāwī́ds
5Proto-Indo-Europeankleh₂u-nail, pin, hook - instruments, of old use for...

Words derived from “clef

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kleh₂u-
clef — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer