Klei

See also: klei and Kléi

German

Etymology

16th c., borrowed from Middle Low German klei, from Old Saxon *klēi, from Proto-Germanic *klajjaz. Cognate with Dutch klei, English clay.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klaɪ̯/
• Rhymes: -aɪ̯

Noun

Klei m (genitive Kleis or Kleies, no plural)

1. clay
2. (in particular) the somewhat dried-out ooze or mud that makes the ground of marshland

Usage notes

• The word is used chiefly in the narrower sense 2, and often in explanatory compounds like Kleiboden.

Synonyms

• (clay): Lehm; Ton