clé

See also: CLE and cle

French

Alternative forms

• clef (less common)
• cleph (humorous)

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French clef, from Old French clef, from Latin clāvis, from Proto-Italic *klāwis, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kleh₂w-. According to Bescherelle, the spelling clé had replaced clef by 1845.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kle/

• Audio (France (Paris)); “une clé”:

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• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

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• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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• Audio (France):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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• Audio (France (Lyon)):

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• Audio (France (Somain)):

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• Rhymes: -e
• Homophones: clef, clefs, clés

Noun

clé f (plural clés)

1. key (device for unlocking)
   • 2015, Zaz, Si jamais j'oublie:

     Et s'il me prend l'envie d' m'en aller, enferme-moi et jette la clé.

     And if I feel like leaving, lock me up and throw away the key.

2. (figurative) key (essential attribute)

   La différence est la clé de l'existence.

   Difference is the key to existence.

3. wrench, spanner
4. USB stick
5. (cryptography) key
6. (music) clef
7. (heraldry) key; the device as shown on a coat of arms

Derived terms

• à clé
• à la clé
• clé à cliquet
• clé à douille
• clé à molette
• clé anglaise
• clé de bras
• clé de contact
• clé de lecture
• clé de voûte
• clé des champs
• clé d'ut
• clé étrangère
• clé primaire
• clé publique
• clé USB
• clés de la ville
• fermer à clé
• mettre la clé sous la porte
• mettre la clé sous le paillasson

Related terms

• clavier
• enclaver

Descendants

• Haitian Creole: kle
• ⇒ Mauritian Creole: lakle
• → Vietnamese: cờ-lê

See also

• serrure f
• verrou m

Further reading

• “clé”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Irish

Alternative forms

• clí (Galway)

Etymology

From Old Irish clé, from Proto-Celtic *kliyā, substantivization of the adjective *kliyos (“left(hand)”). Cognate with Scottish Gaelic clì, Welsh cledd and Breton kleiz (all "left").

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /clʲeː/
• (Galway) IPA^(key): /clʲiː/ (corresponding to the form clí)

Noun

clé f (genitive singular clé)

1. left (side opposite right)

Declension

Declension of clé (fourth declension, no plural)

bare forms singular nominative clé vocative a chlé genitive clé dative clé forms with the definite article singular nominative an chlé genitive na clé dative leis an gclé don chlé

• Archaic dative singular: clí

Mutation

Mutated forms of clé

radical	lenition	eclipsis
clé	chlé	gclé

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “clé”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904), “clé”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla [Irish and English Dictionary], 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 146
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “clé”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla [Irish–English Dictionary], Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931), Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry [Phonetics of an Irish dialect of Kerry] (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 33

Karankawa

Alternative forms

• clay, glé’

Noun

clé

1. water

Synonyms

• comcom

Further reading

• Anthony P. Grant, “Karankawa Linguistic Materials”, Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics, volume 19, number 2 (1994)

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *kliyos.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʲlʲeː/

Adjective

clé

1. left

Inflection

io/iā-stem

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	clé	clé	clé
vocative	clí
accusative	clé	clí
genitive	clí	clé	clí
dative	clíu	clí	clíu
plural	masculine	feminine/neuter
nominative	clí	clí
vocative	clí clíu*
accusative	clí clíu*
genitive	clé
dative	cléib

* when substantivized

Descendants

• Middle Irish: clé
  • Irish: clé
  • Scottish Gaelic: clì
  • Manx: clee

Mutation

Mutation of clé

radical	lenition	nasalization
clé	chlé	clé pronounced with /ɡʲ-/

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “clé”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Walloon

Etymology

From Latin clāvis

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kle/

Noun

clé f (plural clés)

1. Key
2. wrench, spanner
3. (music) clef