Where does “microsleep” come from?

microsleep (English) comes from English sleep, from Middle English slepen, from Old English slǣpan, from Proto-West Germanic slāpan, from Proto-Germanic slēpaną, from Proto-Indo-European slab- — to be weak, be languid; be weak, limp, languid.

microsleep (English): A brief period of sleep, usually of a few...

Definitions

  1. A brief period of sleep, usually of a few...

Ancestry of “microsleep”, step by step

microsleep traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English sleep

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsleepTo rest in a state of reduced consciousness; To...
2Middle Englishslepento sleep; to become asleep, to cause to sleep; to...
3Old Englishslǣpan
4Proto-West Germanicslāpanto sleep
5Proto-Germanicslēpanąto sleep
6Proto-Indo-Europeanslab-to be weak, be languid; be weak, limp, languid

via English micro

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmicroSmall, relatively small; short form of...
2Ancient Greekμικρόςlittle, small
3Proto-Indo-Europeanmēy-soft, tender, dear
Every word from Proto-Indo-European slab-