Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “schlau” come from?

schlau (German) comes from Middle Low German slû, from Czech sluha, from Old Czech [[sluha]]/[[slúha]], from Proto-Slavic sluga, from Proto-Slavic sluti, from Proto-Indo-European ḱléw-(e)-ti, from Proto-Indo-European ḱlew-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.

schlau (German): clever in a way that enables one to achieve one's...

Definitions

  1. clever in a way that enables one to achieve one's...

Ancestry of “schlau”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Low Germanslû—
2Czechsluhaservant
3Old Czech[[sluha]]/[[slúha]]—
4Proto-Slavicslugaservant
5Proto-Slavicslutito express in words, to utter; to have reputation...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱléw-(e)-ti—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱlew-to hear
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

Words derived from “schlau”

  • Schlauberger
  • schlauerweise
  • Schlaumeier
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →