Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “slīfan” come from?

slīfan (Old English) comes 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,...

slīfan (Old English): to cleave, split

Definitions

  1. to cleave, split

Ancestry of “slīfan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanic*slīban—
2Proto-Germanicslībanąto split
3Proto-Indo-European(s)kelH-to cut; to split, to separate
4Proto-Indo-European(s)kel-to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...

Words derived from “slīfan”

  • sliver
  • slive
  • sliverlike
  • sliven
  • sliver
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- →