slaughter

Where does the word "slaughter" come from? It comes from Old Norse slatr, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Slaughter’s story begins in Old Norse: slatr meant “butcher's meat.” Butcher's meat, the killing of animals for food. It reached English by 1300s as slaughter. Settled as the English word for the killing of animals for food, or mass killing. Today, slaughter means the killing of animals for food, or the brutal, violent killing of people.

1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval slatr "butcher's meat", butcher's meat, the killing of animals for food.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s slaughter "the killing of animals for food, or brutal mass killing", settled as the English word for the killing of animals for food, or mass killing.