clear (English)

Where does "clear" come from?

The English adjective 'clear' descends from Middle English 'clere'[1], which came through Anglo-Norman 'cler' and Old French 'cler' from the Latin 'clarus'[1][3]. Latin 'clarus' traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root '*kelh₁-' meaning 'to call, shout', likely passing through '*kl̥h₁rós' and Proto-Italic '*klāros' in the sense of 'loud'[2]. Over time, the meaning shifted from auditory loudness to visual brightness and transparency.

Open questions

The derivation of Latin clarus from the Proto-Indo-European root meaning to call or shout is reconstructed with intermediate forms like kl̥h₁rós and Proto-Italic klāros. [2]

Full etymology tree

clear (English), 'Easily or distinctly heard; audible.'
- inherited clere (Middle English), 'alternative form of cler'
  - borrowed cler (Anglo-Norman)
    - inherited cler (Old French), 'bright, well-lit, not dark'
      - inherited clarus (Latin), 'clear, bright'
        inherited *klāros (Proto-Italic)
        inherited *kl̥h₁rós (Proto-Indo-European)
        derived *kelh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to call, cry, summon'
        suffix *-ros (Proto-Indo-European)

Ancestors

*kelh₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
clere (Middle English)
cler (Old French)
clarus (Latin)

Cognates and doublets

klar (Danish)
klaar (Dutch)
clair (French)
klar (German)
chiaro (Italian)
claro (Portuguese)
clar (Romanian)
claro (Spanish)
klar (Swedish)

Descendants and derived words

all clear (English)
all-clear (English)
clear-air turbulence (English)
clear and convincing evidence (English)
clear as a bell (English)
clear as a mirror (English)
clear as crystal (English)
clear as day (English)
clear as mud (English)
clear as print (English)
clear as the sun at noonday (English)
clear blue water (English)

Related words

Sources

Updated October 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris