Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “slecht” come from?

slecht (German) comes from Middle High German sleht, from Old High German sleht, from Proto-Germanic slihtaz, from Proto-Germanic slīkaną, from Proto-Indo-European sleyǵ- — to glide, smooth, spread; to smear; to creep; to...

Ancestry of “slecht”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germansleht—
2Old High Germanslehteven
3Proto-Germanicslihtazslippery; smooth; flat; level
4Proto-Germanicslīkanąto slide, to slip
5Proto-Indo-Europeansleyǵ-to glide, smooth, spread; to smear; to creep; to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sleyǵ- →