klei-

To lean. Oldest form *k̑lei-, becoming *klei- in centum languages.

Derivatives include decline, lid, climax, climate, and ladder.

I. Full-grade form *klei-.

1. Suffixed form *klei-n-. decline, incline, recline, from Latin -clīnāre, to lean, bend.

2. Suffixed form *klei-tro-. clitellum, from Latin clītellae, packsaddle, from diminutive of *clītra, litter.

3. Suffixed form *klei-wo-. acclivity, declivity, proclivity, from Latin clīvus, a slope.

4. Suffixed form *klei-tor-, “incline, hill.” clitoris, from Greek diminutive kleitoris, clitoris.

II. Zero grade form *kli-.

1. lid, from Old English hlid, cover, from Germanic *hlid-, “that which bends over,” cover.

2. Suffixed form *kli-n-. lean¹, from Old English hlinian and hleonian, to lean, from Germanic *hlinēn.

3. Suffixed form *kli-ent-. client, from Latin cliēns, dependent, follower.

4. Suffixed form *kli-to- in compound *aus-klit-ā- (see ous-).

5. Suffixed form *kli-n-yo-. -clinal, cline, -cline, -clinic, clino-, clisis; aclinic line, anaclisis, clinandrium, enclitic, matriclinous, patroclinous, pericline, proclitic, from Greek klīnein, to lean.

6. Suffixed form *kli-mn̥. climate, from Greek klima, sloping surface of the earth.

7. Lengthened zero-grade form *klī-, with lengthening of obscure origin.

a. Suffixed form *klī-n-ā-. clinic; diclinous, monoclinous, triclinium, from Greek klīnē, bed;

b. suffixed form *klī-m-. climax, from Greek klīmax, ladder.

III. Suffixed o-grade form *kloi-tr-. ladder, from Old English hlǣd(d)er, ladder, from Germanic *hlaidri-.

 

[Pokorny k̑lei- 600.]

* * *