Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Schlappschwanz” come from?

Schlappschwanz (German) comes from German schlapp, from Middle Low German slap, from Old Saxon slap, from Proto-West Germanic slāp, from Proto-Germanic slēpaz — sleep.

Schlappschwanz (German): a weakling; a quitter; a limpdick

Definitions

  1. a weakling; a quitter; a limpdick

Ancestry of “Schlappschwanz”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanschlappweak, lacking vigour, weary, exhausted; slack,...
2Middle Low Germanslap—
3Old Saxonslapsleep
4Proto-West Germanicslāpsleep
5Proto-Germanicslēpazsleep
Every word from Proto-Germanic slēpaz →