Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “slow” come from?

slow (French) comes from English slow, from Middle English slow, from Old English slāw, from Proto-West Germanic *slaiw, from Proto-Germanic slaiwaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)lew- — to sludge, to wash; loose, limp, flabby; limp,...

slow (French): slow waltz

Definitions

  1. slow waltz

Ancestry of “slow”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishslowTaking a long time to move or go a short...
2Middle Englishslow—
3Old Englishslāwsluggish, inert, slothful, late, tardy, torpid,...
4Proto-West Germanic*slaiw—
5Proto-Germanicslaiwazblunt; dull; exhausted; weary; faint; weak;...
6Proto-Indo-European(s)lew-to sludge, to wash; loose, limp, flabby; limp,...

Words derived from “slow”

  • slows
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)lew- →