# clé
## French
### Alternative forms

* clef (less common)
* cleph (humorous)

### Etymology

Inherited from Middle French clef, from Old French clef, from Latin clāvis, from Proto-Italic *klāwis, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kleh₂w-. According to Bescherelle, the spelling clé had replaced clef by 1845.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kle/
* Audio (Paris):(file)
* Rhymes: -e
* Homophones: clef, clefs, clés

### Noun

clé f (plural clés)
* key (device for unlocking)
** 2015, Zaz, Si jamais j'oublie:Et s’il me prend l’envie d’ m’en aller, enferme-moi et jette la clé.And if I feel like leaving, lock me up and throw away the key.
* (figurative) key (essential attribute)
    La différence est la clé de l’existence.Difference is the key to existence.
* wrench, spanner
* USB stick
* (cryptography) key
* (music) clef
* (heraldry) key; the device as shown on a coat of arms

#### Derived terms

* à clé
* à la clé
* clé à cliquet
* clé à douille
* clé à molette
* clé anglaise
* clé de bras
* clé de contact
* clé de lecture
* clé de voûte
* clé des champs
* clé d’ut
* clé étrangère
* clé primaire
* clé publique
* clé USB
* clés de la ville
* fermer à clé
* mettre la clé sous la porte
* mettre la clé sous le paillasson

#### Related terms

* clavier
* enclaver

#### Descendants

* → Vietnamese: cờ-lê

#### See also

* serrure f
* verrou m

### Further reading

* “clé”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

## Irish
### Alternative forms

* clí (Galway)

### Etymology

From Old Irish clé, from Proto-Celtic *kliyā, substantivization of the adjective *kliyos (“left(hand)”). Cognate with Scottish Gaelic clì, Welsh cledd and Breton kleiz (all "left").

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /clʲeː/
* (Galway) IPA: /clʲiː/ (corresponding to the form clí)

### Noun

clé f (genitive singular clé)
* left (side opposite right)

#### Declension

bare forms
case
singular
nominative
clé
vocative
a chlé
genitive
clé
dative
clé
forms with the definite article
case
singular
nominative
an chlé
genitive
na clé
dative
leis an gclé don chlé :
* Archaic dative singular: clí

### Mutation

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish. All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

### Further reading

* Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “clé”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
* Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “clé”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 146
* Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “clé”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
* Sjoestedt, M. L. (1931) Phonétique d’un parler irlandais de Kerry [Phonetics of an Irish Dialect of Kerry] (in French), Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, page 33

## Karankawa
### Alternative forms

* clay, glé’

### Noun

clé
* water

#### Synonyms

* comcom

### Further reading

* Anthony P. Grant, “Karankawa Linguistic Materials”, Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics, volume 19, number 2 (1994)

## Old Irish
### Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *kliyos.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [kʲlʲeː]

### Adjective

clé
* left

#### Inflection

io/iā-stem :
| Singular | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
| Nominative | clé | clé | clé |
| Vocative | clí | clé | clé |
| Accusative | clé | clí | clé |
| Genitive | clí | clé | clí |
| Dative | clíu | clí | clíu |
| Plural | Masculine | Feminine/neuter | Feminine/neuter |
| Nominative | clí | clí | clí |
| Vocative | clí clíu* | clí | clí |
| Accusative | clí clíu* | clí | clí |
| Genitive | clé | clé | clé |
| Dative | cléib | cléib | cléib |
| Notes | * when substantivized | * when substantivized | * when substantivized |

#### Descendants

* Middle Irish: clé
** Irish: clé
** Scottish Gaelic: clì
** Manx: clee

### Mutation

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish. All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

### Further reading

* Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “clé”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

## Walloon
### Etymology

From Latin clāvis

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kle/

### Noun

clé f (plural clés)
* Key
* wrench, spanner
* (music) clef