Where does “slow” come from?
Slow comes from Old English slāw, from Proto-Germanic slaiwaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)lew-, of unknown ultimate meaning.
slow (English): Taking a long time to move or go a short...
Definitions
- Taking a long time to move or go a short...
Ancestry of “slow”, step by step
slow traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English slow
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | slow | — |
| 2 | Old English | slāw | sluggish, inert, slothful, late, tardy, torpid,... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *slaiw | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | slaiwaz | blunt; dull; exhausted; weary; faint; weak;... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)lew- | to sludge, to wash; loose, limp, flabby; limp,... |
via Middle English slaw
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | slaw | — |