Etymology: A word, or train of words, of difficult history. The earliest form exemplified is Middle English clōke , Scots clūke , of which the normal modern form would be clook . Of this, Middle English clōche , 17th cent. clooch (rime brooch ), appears to be a palatalized southern form; but the conditions of the origin of this and clowtch , clouch (rime pouch ), are obscure. Clutch , which since the 17th cent. has superseded the other forms (except dialect cloke , clook , cluke ), came in apparently from the verb clutch v.¹ It is to be noticed that with the obsolescence of the earlier forms, the original literal sense of ‘claw’ also disappeared, and the senses now in use are mainly those of a noun of action from the verb. For Middle English clōk(e , normally we should expect an Old English *clóc , clóce . But, as under brook v.¹ we see a Middle English brōke (beside brouk ), < Old English brúcan , so here, Middle English clōke (? beside *clouke ) may represent an Old English *clúc or clúce . This would represent an Old Germanic *klûka- or klûkôn- , a derivative of the verb root *kluk- , kleuk- , whence came *klukjan , Old English clycc(e)an , clitch v., clutch v.¹ Thus clōke would be ultimately related to these verbs. As we cannot on any phonetic principles explain the palatalized forms clōche, clooch, cloutch, it seems probable that these were produced by the influence of the verb clucche, clutch, upon the noun clōke, *clouk, and that the noun was thus brought gradually in form and sense into direct identification with the verb, as we see, under the verb, that the latter has also been brought in sense into closer association with the noun.

Etymology: A variant of cletch n. in same sense; apparently in its origin a southern dialect form, being found in the Glossaries of Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, etc.

Etymology: The Middle English clucche(n was apparently a phonetic variant of clicche, clitch v.: compare much , crutch , such , rush , shut , all with u from original i or y . The earlier senses of clitch and clutch were identical, but in their development they diverged. An association arose between clutch and Middle English noun cloke , whereby cloke was gradually assimilated in form to clutch , while both verb and substantive approached each other in sense: to clutch is now mainly ‘to grasp with clokes or claws’, a clutch is now mainly ‘a grasp or grip with claws’. The rare forms of the verb, cloche , clouche , were probably from the noun. Compare clought adj.

Etymology: < clutch n.²