"C" Word Origins

claribel

Origin

A fanciful variant of Clara, inspired by names like Annabel, Christabel or Isabel.

Clarice

French

Borrowed from French Clarisse, from Italian Clarissa, from Medieval Latin Clarissa (“Poor Clare”); see there for more. Doublet of Clarissa and Clarisse.

Claridge

Origin

Two possible origins: * A metronymic surname from the Old French female given name Clarice. * Habitational surname from a minor place in Sussex, probably named with Old English clǣfre (“clover”) + hryċġ (“ridge”).

clarification

Latin

From Latin clarificatio, from clarus, "clear."

clarify

Latin

From Old French clarifiier, from Latin clarificare, "to make clear" — from clarus ("clear") + facere ("make").

clarinet

Italian

From Italian clarinetto, a diminutive of clarino ("trumpet"), because early clarinets had a bright, trumpet-like tone.

clarion

Medieval Latin

From Old French claron, from Medieval Latin clario, ultimately from Latin clarus, "clear, loud."

Clarissa

Medieval Latin · 1748

From Medieval Latin Clarissa, related to Latin clarus, "clear, bright" — also a well-known given name, popularised by Samuel Richardson's 1748 novel Clarissa.

Clarisse

French

Borrowed from French Clarisse, from Italian Clarissa, from Medieval Latin Clarissa (“Poor Clare”); see there for more. Doublet of Clarissa and Clarice.

clarity

Latin

From Old French clarté, from Latin claritas, from clarus, "clear."

Clark

Old English

From Old English clerc ("clergyman; learned man"), the source also of the word clerk.

Clarkson

Middle English

From Middle English clerc (“cleric”) + -son, equivalent to Clark + -son.

clart

Origin

From Middle English *clart, found in the verb biclarten (“to cover or smear with dirt”). Cognate with Scots clart, clairt (“to besmear”), Scots clarty (“dirty”). Further origin uncertain.

clary

Middle English

From Middle English clarie, from Anglo-Norman sclaree, from Late or Medieval Latin sclarēia.

clash

German

Imitative (onomatopoeic) in origin, echoing the sound of a sudden collision — related to similar "clap/slap" words in Dutch and German.

clasp

Old English

From Middle English claspe, likely related to Old English clyppan, "to embrace."

class

Latin

From Latin classis, originally referring to a division of Roman citizens called up for military service, later generalised to mean "a group or category."

classic

Latin

From Latin classicus, originally describing citizens of the highest Roman social class; the sense shifted to mean "of the highest rank" in art and literature.

classical

Origin

See classic § Etymology for history. By surface analysis, class + -ical or classic + -al or class + -ic + -al

classification

Latin

Borrowed from French classification, ultimately built from Latin classis ("class") plus the verb-forming suffix -ficare ("to make").

classified

Origin

From classify + -ed.

classify

French

From French classifier. By surface analysis, class + -ify.

classmate

Origin

From class + -mate.

classroom

Origin

From class + room.

classy

Origin

From class + -y. Piecewise doublet of classic.

clat

Origin

Compare Danish klat.

clatter

Old English

From Old English roots imitating the sound itself — like "clack" and "rattle," it's onomatopoeic in origin.

Claud

Origin

Variant of Claude.

Claude

Latin

Borrowed from French Claude, from Latin Claudius, traditionally linked to claudus ("lame") but likely of Sabine origin.

Claudia

Latin

In use from the 16th century. Borrowed from Latin Claudia.

claudication

Origin

Borrowed from Latin claudicātiō (“limping”, noun), from claudicō (“to limp, halt, be lame”) + -ātiō (“-ation”, nominal suffix).

Claudine

Origin

French Claudine

Claudius

Latin

From Latin Claudius. Doublet of Claude.

clause

Latin

From Old French clause, ultimately from Latin claudere, "to close" — the same root as "close" and "closet."

claustral

Origin

Based on Latin claustrum (“cloister”). Doublet of cloistral.

claustration

Origin

From Latin clōstra (“lock, enclosure”).

claustrophobia

Latin · 1870

Built from Latin claustrum ("a locked or enclosed place") plus the Greek-derived suffix -phobia ("fear"); first recorded in medical writing in the 1870s.

claustrophobic

Origin

From claustrophobia + -ic.

claustrum

Origin

Unadapted borrowing from Latin claustrum (“a bolt, bar”). Doublet of cloister.

clave

Latin

From Spanish clave ("key"), from Latin clavis — the same root behind "clef" and "clavicle."

claver

Origin

Borrowed from Scots claver.

clavicle

Latin

From Latin clavicula, "little key" — the bone was thought to resemble an ancient key.

Clavin

Irish

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Mac Fhláimhín (“son of Flaithimhín”), a personal name from a diminutive of flaith (“prince, ruler”).

clavis

Origin

From Latin clāvis (“a key”). Doublet of clave and clef.

claw

Old English

From Old English clawu, related to German Klaue and Dutch klauw — a very old Germanic word.

clay

Old English

From Old English clǣg, tracing back to a very old root meaning "to stick together" — the same root that eventually gave English the word "glue."

Claymore

Origin

Borrowed from Scottish Gaelic claidheamh-mòr.

clayton

Origin

From Middle English Claytone, Cleyton, from Old English clǣġ (“clay”) + Old English tūn (“enclosure, settlement; town”). Analyzable as clay + -ton.