2988: Cloister, not Cluster Feb 25, 2025

The words ‘close’, ‘cloister’, and ‘claustrophobia’ all originate from the Latin claudere, meaning ‘to shut’ or ‘to close’. ‘Close’, and by extension ‘closet’ evolved through Old French clore, retaining its broad sense of shutting or bringing things together, while ‘cloister’ developed from Latin claustrum, referring to an enclosed monastic space. ‘Claustrophobia’, a much later formation from the 19th century, combines the Latin claustrum with the Greek phobos (‘fear’), denoting a dread of confined spaces. Despite their shared ancestry, these words have diverged significantly in meaning. Interestingly, words like ‘cluster’ and ‘clot’ appear related due to their associations with tight formations, yet they stem from entirely different Germanic roots. What is included is any word anything ‘-clude’ like include, preclude, exclude, seclude etc..