From the same stem as the verb celt (“to raise”); the actual form underwent metathesis (*keltis > *klētis > klēts). The original meaning was probably “raised, elevated building.” Cognates include Lithuanian klė́tis, Old Prussian clenan, Old Church Slavonic клѣть (klětĭ), Russian клеть (kletʹ), Belarusian клець (kljecʹ), Ukrainian кліть (klitʹ), Bulgarian клет (klet), Czech klec, Polish kleć. (Some researchers believe that the Slavic terms result from an early borrowing from Baltic.)