clear (English)
Where does "clear" come from?
The word 'clear' stems from the Proto-Indo-European root *kelh₁-, which originally meant 'to call or shout.' This evolved into the Latin 'clarus,' meaning loud, bright, or evident, before passing through Old French and Middle English to become the versatile term we use today. Along the way, it largely displaced native English words like 'schir' to describe everything from literal transparency to metaphorical understanding.
Full etymology tree
- clear (English), 'Easily or distinctly heard; audible.'
- inherited clere (Middle English), 'alternative form of cler'
- inherited cler (Anglo-Norman)
- inherited cler (Old French), 'bright, well-lit, not dark'
- inherited clārus (Latin), 'clear, bright'
- inherited *klāros (Proto-Italic)
- inherited *kl̥h₁-rós (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *kelh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to call, cry, summon'
- inherited *kl̥h₁-rós (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *klāros (Proto-Italic)
- inherited clārus (Latin), 'clear, bright'
- inherited cler (Old French), 'bright, well-lit, not dark'
- inherited cler (Anglo-Norman)
- inherited clere (Middle English), 'alternative form of cler'
Direct ancestors
- kelh₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
- clere (Middle English)
- cler (Old French)
- clarus (Latin)
- clair (French)
- klar (Danish)
- klaar (Dutch)
- clair (French)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris