Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language.djvu/199

---

chlâftra, f., ‘length of the outstretched arms, fathom’; for a similar development of meaning comp. Elle, Faden, also Spanne and Fuß. Goth. *klêftra or *klêftri, f., is wanting, so too the corresponding forms in the cognate languages. Its connection with AS. clyppan, E. to clip, ‘to embrace,’ Swiss χlupfel, ‘armful of hay’ (Teut. root klē̆p), makes it probable that the word is related to Lith. glěbti, ‘to encircle with the arms,’ glėbýs, ‘armful,’ glóbti, ‘to embrace’ (root glêb). The MidHG. variant lâfter (lâhter), f. and n., ‘fathom,’ is obscure.

Klage, f., from the equiv. MidHG. klage, OHG. chlaga, f., ‘complaint,’ prop. ‘a wail as an expression of pain’; wanting in all the early periods of the OTeut. languages except OHG.; adopted as a legal term in ModIc. in the form of klögun. ModHG and MidHG. klagen, from OHG. chlagôn. The pre-Teut. root is probably glak or glagh; yet cognates are wanting.

Klamm, m., ‘spasm in the throat,’ from MidHG. klam (gen. klammes), m., ‘cramp, oppression, fetter’; corresponding to AS. clom (o before m, or rather mm, for a), m., f., and n., ‘firm grip, talon, claw, fetter’;. also OHG. chlamma, MidHG. klamme, f. ModHG. klemmen, ‘to squeeze,’ from MidHG. klęmmen (OHG. bichlęmmen), ‘to seize with the claws, squeeze in, press together’; comp. AS. beclęmman, OIc. klemma. — ModHG. Klemme, f., ‘defile,’ from MidHG. klemme, klemde, f., ‘narrowness, cramping,’ OHG. not yet found.

Klammer, f., ‘cramp, clamp, brace,’ from the equiv. MidHG. klammer, klamer, klamere, f., OHG. *klamara, f., is wanting; Scand. klǫmbr (gen. klambrar), f., ‘vice,’ and MidHG. klamere point to a Goth. *klamra or *klamara, f., which is connected with the Teut. root klam, ‘to press together,’ appearing in Klamm. The equiv. MidHG. klampfer, f., and the ModHG. dial. forms Klamper (Bav.) and Klampfer (Carinthian) are abnormal; comp. also E. clamp and the equiv. Du. klamp, m.; the labial following the m presents some difficulties. Comp. the next word.

Klampe, f., ‘clamp,’ not yet found in MidHG.; from LG.; comp. Du. klamp, ‘cramp, cleats.’ The strictly HG. form is Klampfe (Bav., Austr.), ‘cramp’; comp. Du. klamp, E. clamp, and the equiv. Scand. klampi.

Klang, m., ‘sound, clang,’ from the equiv. MidHG. klanc (gen. klanges), m., with the variant klanc (gen. klankes), OHG. chlang; comp. Du. klank, m., ‘clang, sound,’ as well as E. clank and clang; AS. *clong, *clonc, are wanting, so too Goth. *klaggs and *klagks; comp. also MidHG. klunc (klunges), m., ‘sound,’ and klinc (klinges), m., ‘tone, clangour.’ The form klank with a final k is to be regarded perhaps like falzen compared with falten, Zicke with Ziege, and Kitze with OIc. kið (comp. also krank), i.e., k represents kk for Aryan kn; glank (or rather glangh) is perhaps the Aryan root of the Teut. cognates, unless we are tempted to regard Klang (comp. klingen) as a new onomatopoetic word (comp. Gr. κλαγγή, Lat. clangor).

Klapp, m., ‘clap, slap, blow,’ ModHG. only, adopted from LG., like its cognates (Klappe, klappen, Klapps). Only klappern, vb., ‘to clatter,’ is current in MidHG. without any presumption of its being borrowed; perhaps it is onomatopoetic. ModHG. Klapp, ‘blow,’ is phonetically MidHG. klapf, klaf, m., ‘report, crack’; comp. Klaff.

klar, adj., ‘clear, bright; evident,’ from MidHG.. klâr, ‘bright, pure, beautiful’; adopted in MidHG. from Lat. clârus; E. clear, MidE. clêr, is borrowed from Fr. clair.

klaterig, adj., ‘slovenly,’ a LG. word; prop. ‘dirty and wet’ (of the weather), then used especially in a figurative sense; comp. LG. klaten, ‘dirt, dung,’ allied to Kladde.

klatsch, ‘clap,’ onomat. interj., ModHG. simply; allied to onomat. cognates for ‘to resound’; comp. Du. kletsen, ‘to crack a whip,’ E. to clash.

klauben, vb., ‘to pick or dig out, cull, from MidHG. klûben, OHG. chlûbôn, ‘to pluck to pieces, cleave’; Goth *klûbôn is wanting. The Teut. root klū̆b anciently formed another vb.; see klieben, under which further references are given.

Klaue, f., ‘claw, talon, fang,’ from the equiv. MidHG. klâwe, klâ, OHG. chlâwa, chlôa, f. (comp. Braue, from OHG. brâwa). The variants in MidHG. and OHG. render it difficult to determine the Goth. form; AS. clâ, cleá, cleó (plur. clâwe), clawu (ă?) are also difficult to explain phonetically; Goth. *klêwa, f., is probable, although OIc. kló allows us to infer a graded form, *klôwa, f. The common Teut. stem means