English
incline
Incline comes from Old French encliner ‘to lean’, from Latin clīnō ‘to bend, incline’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱley-reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEclīnō‘to bend, incline’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinclīnāre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400encliner‘to lean’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500enclinen
- Englishearliest quotation 1847incline
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱley-reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEclīnō‘to bend, incline’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEinclīnāre
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400encliner‘to lean’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500enclinen
- Englishearliest quotation 1847incline
Earliest quotation: 1847, editorial staff, Improved Adjustable Incline Door and Gate Butt: “The incline can be altered to any grade so…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱley-
law, low, climate, lean, ladder, decline, lid, climax, eyelid, clinician, proclivity, 27 more
through Latin clīnō ‘to bend, incline’
Today it means
verb To bend or move (something) out of a given plane or direction, often the horizontal or vertical.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- / incline