Etymograph

English

slaught

Slaught comes from Proto-Indo-European *slek- ‘to beat, pound’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*slek-1‘to beat, pound’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*slahtō1reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150sliht1
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500slaught1
  5. Englishtodayslaught1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English slaught

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*slek-Wiktionary, English slaught‘to beat, pound’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*slahtōWiktionary, English slaughtreconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150slihtWiktionary, English slaught
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500slaughtWiktionary, English slaught
  5. EnglishtodayslaughtWiktionary, English slaught

Linked words

through Old English sliht

slight, 1 more

Today it means

noun Killing; slaughter.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “slaught”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *slek- / slaught

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