Where does “slinkiness” come from?
slinkiness (English) comes from English slinky, from English slink, from Middle English slynken, from Old English slincan, from Proto-West Germanic slinkan, from Proto-Germanic slinkaną, from Proto-Indo-European sleng-, from Proto-Indo-European sel- — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.
slinkiness (English): The state or condition of being slinky
Definitions
- The state or condition of being slinky
Ancestry of “slinkiness”, step by step
slinkiness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English slinky
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | slinky | Furtive, stealthy or catlike; Thin; lank; lean;... |
| 2 | English | slink | To sneak about furtively; To give birth to an... |
| 3 | Middle English | slynken | — |
| 4 | Old English | slincan | to crawl, slink |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | slinkan | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | slinkaną | To creep; crawl; slink |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sleng- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sel- | dwelling; piece of wood; beam, post, balk, board,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ser- | to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |