Where does “plier” come from?
plier (Middle French) comes from Old French pleier, from Latin plicāre, from Proto-Indo-European pleḱ-, from Proto-Indo-European pel- — to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold.
plier (Middle French): to fold
Ancestry of “plier”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | pleier | Alternative form of ploiier |
| 2 | Latin | plicāre | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | pleḱ- | to fold, plait, weave |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | pel- | to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold |