Where does “slowpoke” come from?
slowpoke (English) comes from English poke, from Middle English poke, from Anglo-Norman poke, from Frankish *pokō, from Proto-Germanic *puhô, from Proto-Indo-European bew- — "low-pitch humming noise".
slowpoke (English): A person who moves slowly or takes a long time to...
Definitions
- A person who moves slowly or takes a long time to...
Ancestry of “slowpoke”, step by step
slowpoke traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English poke
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | poke | To prod or jab with an object such as a finger or... |
| 2 | Middle English | poke | sack, pouch, bag |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | poke | sack |
| 4 | Frankish | *pokō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *puhô | bag |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bew- | "low-pitch humming noise" |
via English Slow
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Slow | Taking a long time to move or go a short distance, or to perform an action; not quick in motion; proceeding at a low speed |
| 2 | Middle English | slaw | — |
| 3 | Old English | slāw | sluggish, inert, slothful, late, tardy, torpid,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *slaiw | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | slaiwaz | blunt; dull; exhausted; weary; faint; weak;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)lew- | to sludge, to wash; loose, limp, flabby; limp,... |