Where does “slawe” come from?
slawe (German) comes from Middle High German slave, from Medieval Latin sclavus, from Ancient Greek Σκλάβος, from Ancient Greek Σκλαβηνός, from Proto-Slavic slověninъ, from Proto-Slavic slovo, from Proto-Balto-Slavic ślawas, from Proto-Indo-European ḱléwos — to cover; to incline.
Ancestry of “slawe”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | slave | — |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | sclavus | Slav, slave; slave |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | Σκλάβος | Slav |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | Σκλαβηνός | — |
| 5 | Proto-Slavic | slověninъ | Slav |
| 6 | Proto-Slavic | slovo | word |
| 7 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | ślawas | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱléwos | fame |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlew- | to hear |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |