Where does “enclave” come from?
enclave (Middle French) comes from Old French enclaver, from Vulgar Latin inclavare, from Late Latin clavare, 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,...
enclave (Middle French): enclave
Ancestry of “enclave”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | enclaver | to inclose, lock in |
| 2 | Vulgar Latin | inclavare | to lock in |
| 3 | Late Latin | clavare | present active infinitive of clāvō; to fasten... |
| 4 | Latin | clāvus | — |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | klāwos | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kleh₂w- | a hook, crook, peg |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |
Words derived from “enclave”