Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sloven” come from?

sloven (English) comes from Middle English sloveyn, from Middle Dutch sloovin — a scold.

sloven (English): A habitually dirty or untidy man or boy; the male...

Definitions

  1. A habitually dirty or untidy man or boy; the male...

Ancestry of “sloven”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsloveyn—
2Middle Dutchsloovina scold

Words derived from “sloven”

  • slovenly
  • slovenliness
  • slovenry
  • slovenness
  • slovenlike
Every word from Middle Dutch sloovin →