Old English

edit

Etymology

edit

From Proto-West Germanic *kleuban, from Proto-Germanic *kleubaną, from Proto-Indo-European *glewbʰ- (cut, carve).

Germanic cognates include Old Saxon kliovan, Middle Dutch clieven (Dutch klieven), Old High German klioban, Old Norse kljúfa. The Indo-European root is also the source of Ancient Greek γλύφω (glúphō, carve), Latin glūbō (strip the bark off a tree), Russian глубо́кий (glubókij, deep).

Pronunciation

edit
  • IPA(key): /ˈkle͜oː.fɑn/, [ˈkle͜oː.vɑn]

Verb

edit

clēofan

  1. to cleave, split
    • Bordweall clufon aforan Eadweardes.Edward’s sons clove the shield-wall. (Anglo-Saxon Chronicles)

Conjugation

edit
edit

Descendants

edit
  • Middle English: cleven
    • English: cleave
    • Scots: cleave