Where does “slight” come from?

slight (Middle English) comes from Old English sliht, from Proto-Germanic slihtaz, from Proto-Germanic slīkaną, from Proto-Indo-European sleyǵ- — to glide, smooth, spread; to smear; to creep; to...

slight (Middle English): Level, even, smooth; having no bumps or lumps; Of...

Definitions

  1. Level, even, smooth; having no bumps or lumps; Of...

Ancestry of “slight”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishslihtlevel; smooth; a striking; a stroke; flash
2Proto-Germanicslihtazslippery; smooth; flat; level
3Proto-Germanicslīkanąto slide, to slip
4Proto-Indo-Europeansleyǵ-to glide, smooth, spread; to smear; to creep; to...

Words derived from “slight”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sleyǵ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic slīkaną →Every word from Proto-Germanic slihtaz →