Etymology Explorer › Dutch

Where does “slim” come from?

slim (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch slim, from Old Dutch slimb, from Proto-Germanic slimbaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)lemb- — to droop; sag; hang loosely.

slim (Dutch): intelligent, bright; clever, smart; wrong,...

Definitions

  1. intelligent, bright; clever, smart; wrong,...

Ancestry of “slim”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Dutchslimtwisted, crooked; bad, evil; bad, crooked
2Old Dutchslimb—
3Proto-Germanicslimbazaslant; sloping; askew; crooked; wrong
4Proto-Indo-European(s)lemb-to droop; sag; hang loosely

Words derived from “slim”

  • slim
  • slimness
  • slimly
  • slimmish
  • ultraslim
  • superslim
  • unslim
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)lemb- →