English
claire
Claire comes from French clair ‘clear’, from Middle French cler ‘bright, well-lit, not dark’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- ‘to call”, “to shout’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kelh₁-‘to call”, “to shout’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEclārus‘clear, bright’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400cler‘bright, well-lit, not dark’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form‘bright, well-lit, not dark’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentclair‘clear’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentclairefeminine form of clair
- Englishearliest quotation 1891same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kelh₁-‘to call”, “to shout’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEclārus‘clear, bright’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400cler‘bright, well-lit, not dark’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form‘bright, well-lit, not dark’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentclair‘clear’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentclairefeminine form of clair
- Englishearliest quotation 1891same form
Earliest quotation: 1891, William Keith Brooks, The Oyster: A Popular Summary of a Scientific Study: “In order to prepare the ground of the claire…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- ‘to call”, “to shout’
low, hell, calendar, classic, claim, haul, reconciliation, reconcile, proclamation, classify, squeal, exclamation, reclamation, irreconcilable, clamour, clamor, ecclesiastic, conciliar, ecclesial, clas, 36 more
through Latin clārus ‘clear, bright’
clarity, declare, clarification, clarinet, clarion, claret, 11 more
through Old French cler ‘bright, well-lit, not dark’
Today it means
noun A small enclosed pond used for gathering and greening oysters.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- / claire