Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “slanderess” come from?

slanderess (English) comes from English slander, from Old French esclandre, from Ecclesiastical Latin scandalum, from Ancient Greek σκάνδαλον, from Proto-Indo-European skand- — to jump, go up; to shine, to glow; bright.

slanderess (English): A female slanderer

Definitions

  1. A female slanderer

Ancestry of “slanderess”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishslanderA false or unsupported, malicious statement ,...
2Old Frenchesclandre—
3Ecclesiastical Latinscandalumthat on which one trips, cause of offense;...
4Ancient Greekσκάνδαλονtrap, snare; enticement, temptation; offense,...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanskand-to jump, go up; to shine, to glow; bright
Every word from Proto-Indo-European skand- →