Where does “downslide” come from?
downslide (English) comes from English slide, from Middle English sliden, from Old English slīdan, from Proto-Germanic slīdaną, from Proto-Indo-European sléydʰ-e-ti, from Proto-Indo-European sleydʰ- — to slip, slide; to be slippery, slick.
downslide (English): A slide downward; a worsening
Definitions
- A slide downward; a worsening
Ancestry of “downslide”, step by step
downslide traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English slide
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | slide | To move in continuous contact with a surface; To... |
| 2 | Middle English | sliden | To slide; to propel oneself along a surface; To... |
| 3 | Old English | slīdan | to slide |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | slīdaną | to slide, to slip |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sléydʰ-e-ti | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sleydʰ- | to slip, slide; to be slippery, slick |