Etymology Map
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Clumsy

3 stages from Swedish to English.

Today it means moving or doing things awkwardly and carelessly

Where does the word "clumsy" come from? It comes from Swedish klumsa, passing through Middle English before entering English (1590s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
klumsa
Swedish · medieval
"to be numb with cold"
Scandinavian dialect verb for being numb or stiff with cold, related to 'clam' and 'clamp'
2
Stage 2 of 3
clumse
Middle English · 1300s
"benumbed, stiff with cold"
survived in northern English dialect meaning stiff-fingered or benumbed
3
Stage 3 of 3
clumsy
English · 1590s
"awkward in movement or handling"
from fingers too cold to work properly, it broadened to any awkward, ungainly movement
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Read the full story

Clumsy’s story begins in Swedish: klumsa meant “to be numb with cold.” Scandinavian dialect verb for being numb or stiff with cold, related to 'clam' and 'clamp'. By 1300s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as clumse. Survived in northern English dialect meaning stiff-fingered or benumbed. It reached English by 1590s as clumsy. From fingers too cold to work properly, it broadened to any awkward, ungainly movement. Today, clumsy means moving or doing things awkwardly and carelessly.