English
clinal
Clinal comes from Ancient Greek κλίνη ‘bed’, from κλῑ́νω ‘to bend’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱley-1reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱl̥néyti1‘to be leaning, sloped, bent’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*klíňňō1reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκλῑ́νω1klī́nō‘to bend’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκλίνη1klínē‘bed’
- Englishearliest quotation 1984clinal1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English clinal
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1984, Anthony Burgess: “‘Strange,’ Enderby said. ‘Here we both are, in a…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱley-Wiktionary, English clinalreconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱl̥néytiWiktionary, English clinal‘to be leaning, sloped, bent’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*klíňňōWiktionary, English clinalreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκλῑ́νωWiktionary, English clinalklī́nō‘to bend’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκλίνηWiktionary, English clinalklínē‘bed’
- Englishearliest quotation 1984clinalWiktionary, English clinal. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1984, Anthony Burgess: “‘Strange,’ Enderby said. ‘Here we both are, in a…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱley-
law, low, lean, ladder, decline, lid, eyelid, inclination, incline, clinician, declension, proclivity, recline, declination, 23 more
through Proto-Hellenic *klíňňō
through Ancient Greek κλῑ́νω ‘to bend’
Today it means
adj Pertaining to beds or rest.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “clinal”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- / clinal