Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. With cunning

Ancestry of “sleightly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsleightCunning; craft; artful practice; An artful trick;...
2Middle EnglishsleighteAlternative form of sleight
3Old Norseslœgðtrick, sleight, slyness
4Proto-Germanicslōgiþō—
5Proto-Germanicslōgizable to strike; sly, cunning, clever
6Proto-Indo-Europeanslak-to hit; strike; to hit, strike, throw; to hit,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European slak- →