Close
/kloʊz/noun
To shut or bring together; near in distance, time, or relationship.
Did you know?English close descends from Latin clausus, the past participle of claudere, “to shut,” the same ancient root behind words tied to enclosure, exclusion, and even claustrophobia.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kleh₂u-
“to shut, close”
Latin
Latin
claudere
“to shut, close”
Latin
Latin
clausus
“shut, closed”
Old French
Old French
clos
“closed; enclosed”
Middle English
English
close
“closed; shut; near”
Modern English
English
close
“to shut; near; intimate”
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