English word origin

Etymology of cley

From Middle English cle, clea, from Old English clēa (“claw”) (where the oblique forms > English claw).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A claw.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English cle, clea, from Old English clēa (“claw”) (where the oblique forms > English claw).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentioncleenm
Inherited-form mentionclēaang · claw
Cognate mentionclawen

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "cle"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English cle"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "clēa",
        "t": "claw"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English clēa (“claw”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "claw"
      },
      "expansion": "English claw"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "cle",
      "cle#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "clea",
      "clea#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "clēa",
      "clea#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "claw",
      "claw#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A claw."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "recordId": "b02df31234ac8d07665bea67b2bb20b45f05e702fa3b70e2eb4495068235f607",
      "rawRecordSha256": "049bd1b3f88e38c95c73d539a145e496fe8b2728ced5511e5ab88a3ffe82e551",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 3700183
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Alternative spelling of clay.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English cley, from Old English clǣġ (“clay”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentioncleyenm
Inherited-form mentionclǣġang · clay

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "cley"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English cley"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "clǣġ",
        "t": "clay"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English clǣġ (“clay”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "cley",
      "cley#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "clǣġ",
      "clæg#Old_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative spelling of clay."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ],
      "recordId": "50d5bef07ac05fd2c8cb783a88cd65433e9ef36889b47ba4db66eaa9109a8a47",
      "rawRecordSha256": "2431bd3b43d88fab4c7e6f661c681cc16d1cab94dec32dcf657458678a3b3950",
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  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for cley →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-Y2xleQ