Where does “slynken” come from?
slynken (Middle English) comes from Old English slincan, from Proto-West Germanic slinkan, from Proto-Germanic slinkaną, from Proto-Indo-European sleng-, from Proto-Indo-European sel-, from Proto-Indo-European ser- — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.
Ancestry of “slynken”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | slincan | to crawl, slink |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | slinkan | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | slinkaną | To creep; crawl; slink |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | sleng- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sel- | dwelling; piece of wood; beam, post, balk, board,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ser- | to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together |