Where does “clutch” come from?
clutch (Norwegian Nynorsk) comes from English clutch, from English cletch, from Middle English cleken, from Middle English clechen, from Old English clēċan, from Old English clyċċan, from Proto-Germanic klukjaną, from Proto-Germanic klu- — to swallow; swallow.
clutch (Norwegian Nynorsk): a clutch; clutch pedal
Ancestry of “clutch”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | clutch | To seize, as though with claws; To grip or grasp... |
| 2 | English | cletch | — |
| 3 | Middle English | cleken | to seize, clutch; to hatch |
| 4 | Middle English | clechen | to grab |
| 5 | Old English | clēċan | — |
| 6 | Old English | clyċċan | to clutch, clench |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | klukjaną | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | klu- | to ball up, conglomerate, amass |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | glew- | Alternative form of *gley-; to amass,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵel- | to swallow; swallow |