Etymograph

English

slaughter

Slaughter comes from Proto-Germanic *slahaną ‘to hit, to strike’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *slak-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*slak-‘to hit, strike, throw’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*slahaną‘to hit, to strike’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*slahtrąreconstructed
  4. Old Norsec. 800–1350*slahtrreconstructed
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500slaughter
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588slaughter

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*slak-‘to hit, strike, throw’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*slahaną‘to hit, to strike’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*slahtrąreconstructed
  4. Old Norsec. 800–1350*slahtrreconstructed
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500slaughter
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588slaughter

Earliest quotation: c. 1587–1588, Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […]: “Therefore cheere vp your mindes, prepare to fight, He…”

Formed from slay + -ter

Proto-Indo-European *slak- ‘to hit, strike, throw’

Proto-Germanic *slahaną ‘to hit, strike’

Proto-West Germanic *slahan ‘to hit, to strike’

Old English slēan ‘to hit, punch, strike’

Middle English sleen ‘to cut’

English slay

The story

Eventually derived from Proto-Indo-European *slak- (‘to hit, strike, throw’). Related with Dutch slachten, German schlachten, Finnish lahdata (all “to slaughter”).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *slak- ‘to hit, strike, throw’

sly, sledge, 4 more

through Proto-Germanic *slahaną ‘to hit, to strike’

slew, slay, slug, slag, slyly, sleight, 4 more

Today it means

noun The killing of animals, generally for food.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *slak- / slaughter

Shirt and support for this word