kļūt

From Proto-Baltic *kļūti[1], from *klʲū-, from the reduced grade *klʲū- of *klew-, *klū-, from the stem *kel- (“to bend”) (whence also kļaut (“to hug, to press against one's heart”) and kļūda (“error, mistake”)), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *kljautei, from Proto-Indo-European *klewh₂-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂- (“to beat, to stab”).

The semantic change was probably “to bend, to be bent” > “to get stuck, to stay (somewhere)” > “to stay, get (somewhere)” > “to become.” Cognates include Lithuanian kliū́ti (“to catch, to be caught, delayed; to undertake; to hit (target); to disturb, to be an obstacle; to obtain, to get, to reach”) and Proto-Slavic *kľuti (“to peck, to bite”).

• IPA^(key): [kʎûːt]

kļūt (intr., 1st conj., pres. kļūstu, kļūsti, kļūst, past kļuvu)

1. to become

• tapt
• tikt

prefixed verbs: