Where does “slammer” come from?

slammer (English) comes from English slam, from Middle English slammen.

slammer (English): One who, or that which, slams; Jail, prison; A...

Definitions

  1. One who, or that which, slams; Jail, prison; A...

Ancestry of “slammer”, step by step

slammer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English slam

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishslamTo shut with sudden force so as to produce a...
2Middle Englishslammen—

via Swedish slamra

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishslamraclatter, rattle
2Old Swedishslambra—
Every word from Middle English slammen →