Middle English word cleovien comes from Proto-Indo-European *gley-, and later Proto-Germanic *klībaną (To stick, cling to.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *gley- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | to stick, smudge, to stick |
| *gleybʰ- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *klībaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To stick, cling to. |
| *klibjaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To stick, adhere. |
| clifian | Old English (ang) | |
| cleovien | Middle English (enm) |