Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sloth” come from?

Sloth comes from Middle English slouthe, from Old English slǣwþ, from Proto-Germanic slaiwiþō, a noun formation related to slowness or sluggishness.

sloth (English): Laziness; slowness in the mindset; disinclination...

Definitions

  1. Laziness; slowness in the mindset; disinclination...

Ancestry of “sloth”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishslouthesloth
2Old Englishslǣwþsloth, indolence, laziness, inertness, torpor
3Proto-Germanicslaiwiþōslowness, lateness

Words derived from “sloth”

  • slothful
  • slothfulness
  • slothfully
  • slothlike
  • unslothful
  • forsloth
  • unslothfulness
Every word from Proto-Germanic slaiwiþō →