Unnumbered source etymology
Original entry ↗A strand of yarn etc. as used to guide one through a labyrinth; something which points the way, a guide. · Information which may lead one to a certain point or conclusion. · An object or a kind of indication which may be used as evidence. · Insight or understanding ("to have a clue [about]" or "to have clue". See have a clue, clue stick)
To provide with a clue. · To provide someone with information which they lack (often used with "in" or "up"). · Alternative form of clew.
Variant of clew (“a ball of thread or yarn”), from Middle English clew, clewe, clowe, clue, clwe, clyw, clywe, from Old English clēowen, clīewen, clīowen, clīwen, clȳwe, clȳwen (“ball, sphere; skein”), from Proto-West Germanic *kliuwīn (“ball, clump”), from Proto-Germanic *kliuwīną, *klewô (“bale, ball, clump, mass”), from Proto-Indo-European *glew- (“to ball up, clump together; lump, swelling”). Sense evolution with reference to the one which the mythical Theseus used to guide him out of the Minotaur's labyrinth. More at clew. Cognates Cognate with Cimbrian khnaul (“ball of yarn”), Dutch kluwe, kluwen (“ball thread or yarn, clew”), German Knäuel (“ballyarn; tangle”), Norwegian Nynorsk kljå (“a loom weight”); also Sanskrit ग्लौ (glau, “the moon; camphor; the earth”).
Relationships mentioned by the source
These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.
- Root classification mention*glew-ine-pro
- Inherited-form mentionclewenm
- Inherited-form mentionclēowenang
- Inherited-form mention*kliuwīngmw-pro · ball, clump
- Inherited-form mention*kliuwīnągem-pro
- Inherited-form mention*glew-ine-pro · to ball up, clump together; lump, swelling
- Cognate mentionkhnaulcim · ball of yarn
- Cognate mentionkluwenl
- Cognate mentionKnäuelde · ballyarn; tangle
- Cognate mentionkljånn · a loom weight
- Cognate mentionग्लौsa · the moon; camphor; the earth
This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.
Inspect preserved source fields
Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.
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{
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"clīewen",
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"clīowen",
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"clīwen",
"cliwen#Old_English"
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"clȳwe",
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"*kliuwīn",
"Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/kliuwīn"
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"Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/kliuwīną"
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[
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"Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/klewô"
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[
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"Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/glew-"
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[
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[
"kljå",
"kljå#Norwegian_Nynorsk"
],
[
"ग्लौ",
"ग्लौ#Sanskrit"
]
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"pos": "noun",
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"A strand of yarn etc. as used to guide one through a labyrinth; something which points the way, a guide.",
"Information which may lead one to a certain point or conclusion.",
"An object or a kind of indication which may be used as evidence.",
"Insight or understanding (\"to have a clue [about]\" or \"to have clue\". See have a clue, clue stick)"
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"To provide with a clue.",
"To provide someone with information which they lack (often used with \"in\" or \"up\").",
"Alternative form of clew."
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