Where does “clēofian” come from?
clēofian (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic klibēn, from Proto-Germanic klibāną, from Proto-Indo-European gleybʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European gley-, from Proto-Indo-European gel- — to be cold, to freeze.
Ancestry of “clēofian”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | klibēn | to stick, to adhere |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | klibāną | to stick, to adhere |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | gleybʰ- | to stick |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gley- | to glue, paste, stick together; to glue, stick... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gel- | to be cold, to freeze |