Where does “klein” come from?

klein (Middle High German) comes from Old High German kleini, from Proto-West Germanic *klainī, from Proto-Germanic klainiz, from Proto-Indo-European g(e)lēi-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- — to swallow; swallow.

Ancestry of “klein”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germankleinismall, fine, slender; soft, clean; smart,...
2Proto-West Germanic*klainīfine, small
3Proto-Germanicklainizshining, fine, splendid; tender, precious
4Proto-Indo-Europeang(e)lēi-gleaming
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵel-to swallow; swallow

Words derived from “klein”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European g(e)lēi- →Every word from Proto-Germanic klainiz →