English
sleech
Sleech comes from Old English *sliċ ‘mud, sludge’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *sleyg- ‘to slide, be slippery’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sleyg-‘to slide, be slippery’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*slikiz‘mud, slush’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*slikireconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*sliċ‘mud, sludge’reconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sliche
- Englishearliest quotation 1970sleech
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sleyg-‘to slide, be slippery’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*slikiz‘mud, slush’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*slikireconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150*sliċ‘mud, sludge’reconstructed
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sliche
- Englishearliest quotation 1970sleech
Earliest quotation: 1970, Manning, P. I.: “The physical nature and engineering properties of the sleech…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sleyg- ‘to slide, be slippery’
through Old English *sliċ ‘mud, sludge’
Today it means
noun Thick, soft mud that was left behind by flowing water, usually alongside riverbeds or shorelines.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sleyg- / sleech