Where does “sleightly” come from?
sleightly (English) comes from English sleight, from Middle English sleighte, from Old Norse slœgð, from Proto-Germanic slōgiþō, from Proto-Germanic slōgiz, from Proto-Indo-European slak- — to hit; strike; to hit, strike, throw; to hit,...
sleightly (English): With cunning
Definitions
- With cunning
Ancestry of “sleightly”, step by step
sleightly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sleight
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sleight | Cunning; craft; artful practice; An artful trick;... |
| 2 | Middle English | sleighte | Alternative form of sleight |
| 3 | Old Norse | slœgð | trick, sleight, slyness |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | slōgiþō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | slōgiz | able to strike; sly, cunning, clever |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | slak- | to hit; strike; to hit, strike, throw; to hit,... |
via Middle English sleightely
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sleightely | slyly, cleverly; intelligently and using deception |
| 2 | Middle English | -ly | Alternative form of -liche |
| 3 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |