Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “slive” come from?

slive (English) comes from Middle English sliven, from Old English slīfan, from Proto-West Germanic *slīban, from Proto-Germanic slībaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...

slive (English): To cut; split; separate; To cut or slice...

Definitions

  1. To cut; split; separate; To cut or slice...

Ancestry of “slive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishslivento cut, cleave; to cut, cleave, split
2Old Englishslīfanto cleave, split
3Proto-West Germanic*slīban—
4Proto-Germanicslībanąto split
5Proto-Indo-European(s)kelH-to cut; to split, to separate
6Proto-Indo-European(s)kel-to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- →