English
slam
Slam comes from Middle English *slammen.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*slammenreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1836slam
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*slammenreconstructed
- Englishearliest quotation 1836slam
Earliest quotation: 1836, – 1837 October, Charles Dickens: “The slam and the scowl were lost upon Sam.”
Every English word from Middle English *slammen
Today it means
verb To shut with sudden force so as to produce a shock and noise.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English *slammen / slam