sleuth

Where does the word "sleuth" come from? It comes from Old Norse slóð, passing through Scots before entering English (1870s).

Sleuth’s story begins in Old Norse: slóð meant “trail, track.” A track or trail left behind by a person or animal. By 1300s, the word had taken hold in Scots as sleuth-hound. A bloodhound bred to follow a scent trail, used in the Scottish borders to track raiders. It reached English by 1870s as sleuth. American slang shortened it and applied it to a detective who tracks down criminals. Today, sleuth means a detective.

1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval slóð "trail, track", a track or trail left behind by a person or animal.
2. Stage 2 · Scots · 1300s sleuth-hound "tracking dog", a bloodhound bred to follow a scent trail, used in the Scottish borders to track raiders.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1870s sleuth "detective", American slang shortened it and applied it to a detective who tracks down criminals.