Where does “*klaim” come from?
*klaim (Proto-West Germanic) comes from Proto-Germanic klaimaz, from Proto-Indo-European gleh₁y-, from Proto-Indo-European gleh₁-, from Proto-Indo-European gewl-, from Proto-Indo-European gēw- — to bend, arch.
Ancestry of “*klaim”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | klaimaz | clay, mortar |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | gleh₁y- | to smear, putty; to stick, glue |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | gleh₁- | ball, lump |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gewl- | vessel; ball; vessel, bowl, ball; ball, bowl,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gēw- | to bend, arch |