Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “slow” come from?

slow (Middle English) comes from Old English slāw, from Proto-West Germanic *slaiw, from Proto-Germanic slaiwaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)lew- — to sludge, to wash; loose, limp, flabby; limp,...

Ancestry of “slow”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishslāwsluggish, inert, slothful, late, tardy, torpid,...
2Proto-West Germanic*slaiw—
3Proto-Germanicslaiwazblunt; dull; exhausted; weary; faint; weak;...
4Proto-Indo-European(s)lew-to sludge, to wash; loose, limp, flabby; limp,...

Words derived from “slow”

  • slow
  • slower
  • slowness
  • slowpoke
  • ultraslow
  • slowish
  • slowcoach
  • slowfooted
  • slowplay
  • superslow
  • sloweth
  • slowball
  • slowpitch
  • overslow
  • slowcore
  • slowsome
  • slow-burning
  • slowback
  • slowass
  • slow
  • slows
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)lew- →