clitoris (French)
Where does "clitoris" come from?
The French word clitoris is a learned borrowing from the Ancient Greek term κλειτορίς (kleitorís). It is historically derived from the Greek verb κλείω (kleíō), meaning 'to shut or enclose,' suggesting a hidden or protected anatomical feature.
Full etymology tree
- clitoris (French), 'clitoris'
- learned borrowing from κλειτορίς (Ancient Greek), 'clitoris'
- derived from κλείω (Ancient Greek), 'to shut, close, bar (e.g. the door)'
- inherited from *klāyyō (Proto-Hellenic)
- inherited from *kleh₂uyeti (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived from *kleh₂u- (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited from *kleh₂uyeti (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited from *klāyyō (Proto-Hellenic)
- derived from κλείω (Ancient Greek), 'to shut, close, bar (e.g. the door)'
- learned borrowing from κλειτορίς (Ancient Greek), 'clitoris'
Ancestors
- κλειτορίς (Ancient Greek)
Descendants and derived words
- clitoridien (French)
- clitoris (Romanian)
Updated April 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris