Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “clāþ” come from?

clāþ (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic klaiþą, from Proto-Indo-European gleyt-, from Proto-Indo-European gley-, from Proto-Indo-European gel- — to be cold, to freeze.

clāþ (Old English): cloth, clothes, covering, sail

Definitions

  1. cloth, clothes, covering, sail

Ancestry of “clāþ”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicklaiþącloth
2Proto-Indo-Europeangleyt-to cling to, cleave, stick
3Proto-Indo-Europeangley-to glue, paste, stick together; to glue, stick...
4Proto-Indo-Europeangel-to be cold, to freeze

Words derived from “clāþ”

  • clothes
  • cloth
  • broadcloth
  • clothesline
  • washcloth
  • oilcloth
  • cheesecloth
  • underclothes
  • neckcloth
  • loincloth
  • clothier
  • sailcloth
  • nightclothes
  • dishcloth
  • clothespin
  • backcloth
  • haircloth
  • breechcloth
  • graveclothes
  • clothbound
  • headcloth
  • smallclothes
  • waistcloth
  • clotheshorse
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gel- →