Clumsy
/ˈklʌm.zi/noun
Awkward in movement or in handling things.
Did you know?The word 'clumsy' is believed to have roots in an ancient term related to 'clumps', invoking a sense of heaviness and awkwardness—both physical and mystical!
Etymological Timeline
Middle English
English
clumsi
“Awkward or ungraceful in movement.”
Old Norse
Old Norse
klumpr
“A lump or clump; something heavy or unwieldy.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
klumzō
“A lump or mass; something that is awkward or bulky.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*klem-
“To cling or stick; suggesting heaviness and awkwardness.”