*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of slike

From Middle English sliken, from Old English *slīcan (“to crawl, slink”), from Proto-West Germanic *slīkan, from Proto-Germanic *slīkaną (“to creep, crawl”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleyg-, *sleyǵ- (“to glide, smooth,

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To crawl; creep; slide.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English sliken, from Old English *slīcan (“to crawl, slink”), from Proto-West Germanic *slīkan, from Proto-Germanic *slīkaną (“to creep, crawl”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleyg-, *sleyǵ- (“to glide, smooth, spread”). Cognate with German Low German slieken (“to slink, crawl”), German schleichen (“to creep, crawl, slink, sneak”), Old English slīcian (“to make sleek, slick, smooth, or glossy”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionslikenenm
  • Inherited-form mention*slīcanang · to crawl, slink
  • Inherited-form mention*slīkangmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*slīkanągem-pro · to creep, crawl
  • Derivation mention*sleyg-ine-pro
  • Cognate mentionschleichende · to creep, crawl, slink, sneak
  • Cognate mentionslīcianang · to make sleek, slick, smooth, or glossy
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "sliken"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English sliken"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "*slīcan",
        "t": "to crawl, slink"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English *slīcan (“to crawl, slink”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*slīkan"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *slīkan"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*slīkaną",
        "t": "to creep, crawl"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *slīkaną (“to creep, crawl”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*sleyg-"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *sleyg-"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds-de",
        "2": "slieken",
        "t": "to slink, crawl"
      },
      "expansion": "German Low German slieken (“to slink, crawl”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "schleichen",
        "t": "to creep, crawl, slink, sneak"
      },
      "expansion": "German schleichen (“to creep, crawl, slink, sneak”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "slīcian",
        "t": "to make sleek, slick, smooth, or glossy"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English slīcian (“to make sleek, slick, smooth, or glossy”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "sliken",
      "sliken#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "*slīcan",
      "Reconstruction:Old English/slican"
    ],
    [
      "*slīkan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/slīkan"
    ],
    [
      "*slīkaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/slīkaną"
    ],
    [
      "*sleyg-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/sleyg-"
    ],
    [
      "*sleyǵ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/sleyǵ-"
    ],
    [
      "slieken",
      "slieken#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "schleichen",
      "schleichen#German"
    ],
    [
      "slīcian",
      "slician#Old_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To crawl; creep; slide."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To make sleek or smooth.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English sliken, slikien, from Old English slīcian (“to make sleek, slick, smooth, or glossy”). See above.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionslikenenm
  • Inherited-form mentionslīcianang · to make sleek, slick, smooth, or glossy
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "sliken",
        "id": "smoothen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English sliken"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "slīcian",
        "t": "to make sleek, slick, smooth, or glossy"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English slīcian (“to make sleek, slick, smooth, or glossy”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "sliken",
      "sliken#Middle_English:_smoothen"
    ],
    [
      "slikien",
      "slikien#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "slīcian",
      "slician#Old_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To make sleek or smooth."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
verb

To rend asunder; cleave.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English *slīken, from Old English slīcan (“to strike”), from Proto-West Germanic *slīkan, from Proto-Germanic *slīkaną (“to hew, hammer, strike”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleyg-, *sleyǵ- (“to beat”). Cognate with Old Frisian slēc (“a shock, blow”), Middle Low German slîken (“to beat”), Old English sliċċ, sliċ (“beater, hammer, mallet”), Latin ligō, ligōnis (“hoe, mattock”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mention*slikenenm
  • Inherited-form mentionslīcanang · to strike
  • Inherited-form mention*slīkangmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*slīkanągem-pro · to hew, hammer, strike
  • Derivation mention*sleyg-ine-pro
  • Cognate mentionslēcofs · a shock, blow
  • Cognate mentionslîkengml · to beat
  • Cognate mentionsliċċang
  • Cognate mentionligōla
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "*sliken",
        "4": "*slīken"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English *slīken"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "slīcan",
        "t": "to strike"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English slīcan (“to strike”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*slīkan"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *slīkan"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*slīkaną",
        "t": "to hew, hammer, strike"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *slīkaną (“to hew, hammer, strike”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*sleyg-"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *sleyg-"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ofs",
        "2": "slēc",
        "t": "a shock, blow"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Frisian slēc (“a shock, blow”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gml",
        "2": "slîken",
        "t": "to beat"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Low German slîken (“to beat”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "sliċċ"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English sliċċ"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "ligō"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin ligō"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*slīken",
      "Reconstruction:Middle English/sliken"
    ],
    [
      "slīcan",
      "slican#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*slīkan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/slīkan"
    ],
    [
      "*slīkaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/slīkaną"
    ],
    [
      "*sleyg-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/sleyg-"
    ],
    [
      "*sleyǵ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/sleyǵ-"
    ],
    [
      "slēc",
      "slec#Old_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "slîken",
      "sliken#Middle_Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "sliċċ",
      "slicc#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "sliċ",
      "slic#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "ligō",
      "ligo#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "ligōnis",
      "ligonis#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To rend asunder; cleave."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "dialectal",
        "transitive"
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for slike →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-c2xpa2U