English
subclavius
Subclavius comes from New Latin subclavius ‘under the clavicle’, from Latin clāvis ‘a key’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂w- ‘a hook, crook, peg’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kleh₂w-1‘a hook, crook, peg’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kleh₂w-i-s1reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*klāwis1‘bolt, lock, bar’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEclāvis1‘a key’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEclavicula2‘collar bone, clavicle’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900subclavius2‘under the clavicle’
- Englishtodaysubclavius2
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Latin clavicula
- 2 Wiktionary, English subclavius
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kleh₂w-Wiktionary, Latin clavicula‘a hook, crook, peg’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kleh₂w-i-sWiktionary, Latin claviculareconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*klāwisWiktionary, Latin clavicula‘bolt, lock, bar’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEclāvisWiktionary, Latin clavicula‘a key’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEclaviculaWiktionary, English subclavius‘collar bone, clavicle’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900subclaviusWiktionary, English subclavius‘under the clavicle’
- EnglishtodaysubclaviusWiktionary, English subclavius
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂w- ‘a hook, crook, peg’
close, include, exclusive, closure, conclude, inclusion, inclusive, exclude, clause, cataract, preclude, sluice, cloister, recluse, occlusion, claustrophobia, cloture, 31 more
through Latin clāvis ‘a key’
enclave, conclave, clef, clave, 7 more
through Latin clavicula ‘collar bone, clavicle’
Today it means
noun A muscle which (in humans) originates from the first costal cartilage and inserts on to the undersurface of the clavicle, acting to elevate the first rib or fix the clavicle.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “subclavius”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin clavicula. 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 *kleh₂w- / subclavius