Etymograph

English

reclaim

Reclaim comes from Anglo-Norman reclamer, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- ‘to call out to’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kelh₁-1‘to call out to’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
  2. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400reclamer1
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500reclaymen1
  4. Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588reclaim1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English reclaim
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1587–1588, Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […]: “His Highneſſe pleaſure is that he ſhould liue, And…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kelh₁-Wiktionary, English reclaim‘to call out to’root named by Wiktionary · steps between not traced
  2. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400reclamerWiktionary, English reclaim
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500reclaymenWiktionary, English reclaim
  4. Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588reclaimWiktionary, English reclaim. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1587–1588, Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […]: “His Highneſſe pleaſure is that he ſhould liue, And…”

The story

Equivalent to re- + claim.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- ‘to call out to’

low, hell, clear, classic, calendar, haul, clarity, reconciliation, clarification, declare, proclamation, reconcile, claire, classify, squeal, exclamation, clarinet, proclaim, clarion, acclaim, claimant, irreconcilable, clamour, clamor, claret, conciliar, exclaim, ecclesiastic, clas, ecclesial, 33 more

Today it means

verb To return land to a suitable condition for use.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “reclaim”. 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 *kelh₁- / reclaim

Shirt and support for this word