clay

/kleɪ/·noun·before 700 CE·Established

Origin

From PIE *gley- (to stick) — etymologically 'the sticky stuff,' same root as 'glue' and 'gluten.'

Definition

A stiff, sticky fine-grained earth that can be moulded when wet, used for making bricks, pottery, and ceramics.

The Full Story

Proto-Germanicbefore 700 CEwell-attested

From Old English 'clǣg' (clay, sticky earth), from Proto-Germanic *klajją (clay, that which sticks), from PIE *glei- (to stick, to smear, to adhere, to be viscous). The root identifies clay by its essential physical property: it is the earth-substance that clings. The same PIE root *glei- gave Greek 'glía' (glue, the adhesive substance — also the root of 'neuroglia,' the glue-cells

Did you know?

'Clay,' 'glue,' and 'gluten' are all relatives. All three descend from PIE *gley- (to stick). Clay is earth that sticks. Glue is a substance made to stick things together. Gluten

Clay Wiki Article· 2 min read

This Word in Other Languages

Klei(German (dialectal))klei(Dutch)glía (γλία)(Greek (glue))glūten(Latin (glue))

Also from Proto-Germanic

root from old to mean one

that makes dough sticky and elastic. The

of stickiness connects a

's material, an adhesive, and a

Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4000 BCE

*gley-“to stick, to smear, to glue”