Where does “proslavery” come from?
Proslavery comes from English slave plus the English suffix -ery, from Old French esclave, from Medieval Latin sclavus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH-, meaning to grow or swell.
proslavery (English): Supporting slavery
Ancestry of “proslavery”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | slavery | An institution or social practice of owning human... |
| 2 | English | slaver | To drool saliva from the mouth; to slobber; To... |
| 3 | English | slave | A person who is held in servitude as the property... |
| 4 | Middle English | sclave | — |
| 5 | French | esclave | slave |
| 6 | Medieval Latin | sclavus | Slav, slave; slave |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | Σκλάβος | Slav |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | Σκλαβηνός | — |
| 9 | Proto-Slavic | slověninъ | Slav |
| 10 | Proto-Slavic | slovo | word |
| 11 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | ślawas | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱléwos | fame |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlew- | to hear |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |