Clewless
/ˈkluːləs/noun
Lacking knowledge, information, or a way to understand or solve something.
Did you know?The older word clew meant a ball of yarn, echoing the myth of Ariadne giving Theseus a thread to escape the labyrinth.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gleu-
“To stick together or form a cohesive mass; the proposed ancient root behind related Germanic words.”
Old English
Old English
cliwen
“A ball of thread or yarn.”
Middle English
Middle English
clewe
“A ball of thread; later, a thread used as a guide through a maze or difficult passage.”
15th–16th Century
English
clue
“A guiding piece of information, developed metaphorically from the thread that leads someone through a labyrinth.”
19th Century
English
clewless
“Without a clew or clue; unable to find guidance or understand what is happening.”
Modern English
English
clewless
“A less common variant of clueless, meaning uninformed or bewildered.”