Where does “slang” come from?
slang (English) comes from English sling, from English spiderling, from English Ling, from Middle English ling, from Old Norse lyng, from Proto-Germanic lingwą, from Proto-Indo-European lengʷʰom, from Proto-Indo-European lengʷʰ- — light, agile, nimble; light, not heavy, agile,...
slang (English): Language outside of conventional usage and in the...
Definitions
- Language outside of conventional usage and in the...
Ancestry of “slang”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sling | To throw with a circular or arcing motion; To... |
| 2 | English | spiderling | An immature spider; Any of various herbaceous... |
| 3 | English | Ling | Any of various codlike saltwater fish often used as food by humans, those of the genus Molva, in the family Lotidae |
| 4 | Middle English | ling | Any of various varieties of heather or broom |
| 5 | Old Norse | lyng | heather, ling |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | lingwą | heather, ling |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰom | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰ- | light, agile, nimble; light, not heavy, agile,... |