Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sluggish” come from?

Sluggish derives from Middle English -isch, from Proto-Germanic slahaną and -iskaz, from Proto-Indo-European slak- and -iskos, ultimately meaning to strike or be slow.

sluggish (English): Habitually idle and lazy; slothful; dull;...

Definitions

  1. Habitually idle and lazy; slothful; dull;...

Ancestry of “sluggish”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-ishTypical of, similar to, being like; Somewhat,...
2Middle English-ishAlternative form of -yssh
3Old English-isċ-ish
4Proto-West Germanic-iskCreates adjectives from nouns
5Proto-Germanic-iskazForms adjectives from nouns with the sense of...
6Proto-Indo-European-iskosCharacteristic of, typical of, pertaining to

Words derived from “sluggish”

  • sluggishly
  • sluggishness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -iskos →