Where does “slithering” come from?
Slithering comes from Middle English slitheren, derived from slideren, which traces back through Old English sliderian and Proto-Germanic slidrōną to the Proto-Indo-European root sleydʰ- meaning to slide or slip.
slithering (English): present participle of slither; The act of one who...
Definitions
- present participle of slither; The act of one who...
Ancestry of “slithering”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | slither | To move about smoothly and from side to side; To... |
| 2 | Middle English | slitheren | Alternative form of slideren |
| 3 | Middle English | slideren | To skid or slip; to lose one's traction or... |
| 4 | Old English | sliderian | to slip |
| 5 | Old English | slidorian | to slide |
| 6 | Old English | slidrian | to slip, slide, slither |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | slidrōną | to slide, slip |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -ōną | Creates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 12 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |