Where does “sleutel” come from?
sleutel (Afrikaans) comes from Dutch sleutel, from Middle Dutch slōtel, from Old Dutch slutil, from Proto-West Germanic *sleutan, from Proto-Germanic sleutaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)klewd-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kleh₂w-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...
sleutel (Afrikaans): key; clef
Ancestry of “sleutel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | sleutel | A key; A wrench, a spanner; A clef |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | slōtel | — |
| 3 | Old Dutch | slutil | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *sleutan | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | sleutaną | to bolt, lock; to shut, close |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)klewd- | to lock |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kleh₂w- | a hook, crook, peg |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |