Where does “sliver” come from?
sliver (Middle English) comes from Middle English sliven, from Old English slīfan, from Proto-West Germanic *slīban, from Proto-Germanic slībaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...
sliver (Middle English): part, portion
Definitions
- part, portion
Ancestry of “sliver”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sliven | to cut, cleave; to cut, cleave, split |
| 2 | Old English | slīfan | to cleave, split |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *slīban | to split, divide |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | slībaną | to split |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kelH- | to cut; to split, to separate |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |