Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “slay” come from?

Slay comes from Middle English sleen, from Old English slēan, from Proto-Germanic slahaną, from Proto-Indo-European slak-.

slay (English): To kill, murder; To eradicate or stamp out; To...

Definitions

  1. To kill, murder; To eradicate or stamp out; To...

Ancestry of “slay”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsleen—
2Old Englishslēanto hit, strike, slay; to strike, beat, smite; to...
3Proto-West Germanicslahanto hit, to strike; to kill
4Proto-Germanicslahanąto hit, to strike; to kill
5Proto-Indo-Europeanslak-to hit; strike; to hit, strike, throw; to hit,...

Words derived from “slay”

  • slain
  • slayeth
  • unslain
  • slayest
  • unslayable
  • slayage
  • slayable
  • self-slain
  • slayee
  • foreslay
Every word from Proto-Indo-European slak- →