The origin of clue is from the old English clewin, meaning ball of yarn. This came to mean the modern sense of 'clue' through the story of the Minotaur, in which a ball of yarn is used to help solve the maze which entraps the titular minotaur. Over time, its meaning spread metaphorically to mean an aid to reach a solution, giving us the modern word 'clue'.

Where Do New Words Come From

where-do-new-words-come-from

Let's do English ESL deep listening: focus on meaning. The origin of clue is from the old English clewin, meaning ball of yarn. This came to mean the modern sen…