slither

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₃sleydʰ-“to slip”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*slidrōn“to slide, slither”
3. Old English · inherited fromslidrian“to slip, slide, slither”
4. Middle English · inherited fromslitheren
5. English todayslither

From Middle English slitheren, alteration of slideren (“to slither, creep”), from Old English slidrian (“to slip, slide, slither”), from Proto-West Germanic *slidrōn (“to slide, slither”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃sleydʰ- (“to slip”), equivalent to slide + -er (frequentative suffix). Cognate with Dutch slidderen (“to slip, wriggle, slither”), German schlittern (“to slither, skid”). More at slide.

Words from the same roots