Where does “asleep” come from?
Asleep derives from Middle English aslepe, formed with the Middle English prefix a- (from Middle French a-, from Latin ad-, the preposition ad meaning "to," from Proto-Indo-European ád, related to uds- and úd).
asleep (English): In a state of sleep; also, broadly, resting;...
Definitions
- In a state of sleep; also, broadly, resting;...
Ancestry of “asleep”, step by step
asleep traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sleep
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sleep | To rest in a state of reduced consciousness; To... |
| 2 | Middle English | slepen | to sleep; to become asleep, to cause to sleep; to... |
| 3 | Old English | slǣpan | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | slāpan | to sleep |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | slēpaną | to sleep |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | slab- | to be weak, be languid; be weak, limp, languid |