Where does “slepen” come from?
slepen (Middle High German) comes from Middle Low German slêpen, from Proto-West Germanic *sleupan, from Proto-Germanic sleupaną, from Proto-Indo-European slewb(ʰ)- — to slip, glide.
Ancestry of “slepen”, step by step
slepen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle Low German slêpen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | slêpen | to drag, slight |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *sleupan | to sneak, to creep (move stealthily) |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | sleupaną | To creep, slink, sneak, slip |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | slewb(ʰ)- | to slip, glide |
via Old High German sleifen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | sleifen | to drag |