clive

Meanings

Verb

• To climb; ascend.
• To split; separate; cleave; chop.

Noun

• Burdock or agrimony.

Origin

• From Middle English cliven, from Old English clīfan ("to cleave, adhere, stick"), from Proto-Germanic *klībaną ("to glue, stick"), from Proto-Indo-European *gleybʰ- ("to lubricate, stick"). Cognate with Dutch kleven ("to adhere, stick"), German kleben ("to adhere, stick"), Swedish kliva ("to climb, stalk"), Icelandic klífa ("to climb, ascend").
• From Middle English, from Old English clife ("clifers (cleavers), burdock"). Cognate with Middle Dutch kleve, klijve, Middle Low German klive ("burdock").
• From Middle English cliven, from Old Norse klyfja, klufða, from Proto-Germanic *kleubaną ("to split, pick"), from Proto-Indo-European *glewbʰ- ("to cut, carve, peel"). Cognate with Old English clēofan ("to cleave, split, separate"). cleave.