Etymology Map
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Sleep

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means to rest with the eyes closed and the mind unconscious

Where does the word "sleep" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic slēpaną, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
slēpaną
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"to sleep"
perhaps from a root meaning to go slack or weak
2
Stage 2 of 3
slǣpan
Old English · 700s-1000s
"to sleep"
'slǣp' was also a poetic word for death
3
Stage 3 of 3
sleep
English · 1500s
"to sleep"
'slept' replaced the older past tense 'slep'
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Read the full story

Sleep’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: slēpaną meant “to sleep.” Perhaps from a root meaning to go slack or weak. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as slǣpan. 'slǣp' was also a poetic word for death. It reached English by 1500s as sleep. 'slept' replaced the older past tense 'slep'. Today, sleep means to rest with the eyes closed and the mind unconscious.