Where does “slaughteress” come from?

slaughteress (English) comes from English slaughter, from Middle English slaughter, from Old Norse slahtr, from Proto-Germanic slahtrą, from Proto-Germanic slahaną, from Proto-Indo-European slak- — to hit; strike; to hit, strike, throw; to hit,...

slaughteress (English): A female slaughterer

Definitions

  1. A female slaughterer

Ancestry of “slaughteress”, step by step

slaughteress traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English slaughter

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishslaughterThe killing of animals, generally for food; A...
2Middle Englishslaughter—
3Old Norseslahtr—
4Proto-Germanicslahtrą—
5Proto-Germanicslahanąto hit, to strike; to kill
6Proto-Indo-Europeanslak-to hit; strike; to hit, strike, throw; to hit,...

via English ess

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishessThe name of the Latin-script letter S; Something...
2Germanessfirst-person singular present of essen; singular...
3Proto-Germanicatiska-grainfield
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂edos-sort of cereal, grain
Every word from Proto-Indo-European slak- →Every word from Proto-Germanic slahaną →Every word from Proto-Germanic slahtrą →