English
clothe
Clothe comes from Middle English clothen ‘to clothe’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *gley- ‘to adhere to, stick’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gley-‘to adhere to, stick’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*klaiþōną‘to clothe’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*clāþian‘to clothe’reconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500clothen‘to clothe’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1590-92clothe
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gley-‘to adhere to, stick’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*klaiþōną‘to clothe’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*clāþian‘to clothe’reconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500clothen‘to clothe’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1590-92clothe
Earliest quotation: c. 1590-92, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew: “Go with me to clothe you as becomes you.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gley- ‘to adhere to, stick’
climb, clam, clench, glia, 5 more
through Middle English clothen ‘to clothe’
Today it means
verb To adorn or cover with clothing; to dress; to supply clothes or clothing.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gley- / clothe