Where does “slayer” come from?
Slayer comes from Middle English slear, from Old English slaga, from Old English slēan, from Proto-West Germanic slahan, from Proto-Germanic slahaną, from Proto-Indo-European slak-.
slayer (English): a killer; a murderer; someone who slays
Definitions
- a killer; a murderer; someone who slays
Ancestry of “slayer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | slear | — |
| 2 | Old English | slaga | a killer, a murderer, a slayer |
| 3 | Old English | slēan | to hit, strike, slay; to strike, beat, smite; to... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | slahan | to hit, to strike; to kill |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | slahaną | to hit, to strike; to kill |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | slak- | to hit; strike; to hit, strike, throw; to hit,... |