claye
(kleɪ)
Also cley.
[a. F. claie, in 14th c. claye, in same sense; OF. also cloie from orig. cleie, in Pr. cleda:—late L. clēta (cf. sēta, seda; seie, soie; saye), in med.L. also clida, clia. The dim. clētella occurs in Greg. of Tours; the late L. clēta was prob. of Celtic origin: cf. Ir. cliath, Welsh clwyd, Corn. cluit, Breton cloued, all going back to an original clēta, and all meaning ‘hurdle’. Du Cange has the med.L. forms cleia, claia, cloia, chloëa, clida, also cleida, clita, clada, clades, claga: cf. clate.]
A hurdle (see quots.).
| [c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-W. 126/16 Cleta, cratis, hyrdel. c 1150 Ibid. 547/38 Cleta, hurdel. c 1307 Lett. Edw. II, Rymer III. 32/1 Pontes et claias pro instanti passagio nostro. Charter in Somner Tract. de Gavelkend 190 Pro 18 cladibus faciendis ad ovile. Du Cange.] 1708–21 Kersey Claye (F.), a Hurdle of Rods wattled together: in Fortification, Clayes are Wattles made of strong Stakes interwoven with Osiers..to cover Lodgments, with Earth heap'd on them. Cley (country-wd.), a Hurdle for penning or folding Sheep. 1721–1800 Bailey, Clayes; also Cley as in Kersey. |