clive

clive · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*gleybʰ-“to lubricate, stick”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*klībaną“to glue, stick”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*klīban
4. Old English · inherited fromclīfan“to cleave, adhere, stick”
5. Middle English · inherited fromcliven
6. English todayclive

From Middle English cliven, from Old English clīfan (“to cleave, adhere, stick”), from Proto-West Germanic *klīban, from Proto-Germanic *klībaną (“to glue, stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *gleybʰ- (“to lubricate, stick”). Cognate with Dutch kleven (“to adhere, stick”), German kleben (“to adhere, stick”), Swedish kliva (“to climb, stalk”), Icelandic klífa (“to climb, ascend”).

clive · noun²

1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*klībā
2. Old English · inherited fromclīfe“clifers (cleavers), burdock”
3. Middle English · inherited from*clive
4. English todayclive

From Middle English *clive (in compound: Middle English garclive), from Old English clīfe (“clifers (cleavers), burdock”), from Proto-West Germanic *klībā. Cognate with Middle Dutch kleve, klijve (“burdock”), Middle Low German klive (“burdock”).

clive · verb³

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*glewbʰ-“to cut, carve, peel”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*kleubaną“to split, pick”
3. Old Norse · derived fromklyfja
4. Middle English · inherited fromcliven
5. English todayclive

From Middle English cliven, from Old Norse klyfja, klufða (“to split, chop, cleave”), from Proto-Germanic *kleubaną (“to split, pick”), from Proto-Indo-European *glewbʰ- (“to cut, carve, peel”). Cognate with Old English clēofan (“to cleave, split, separate”). Doublet of cleave.

Words from the same roots