sly

Where does the word "sly" come from? It comes from Old Norse sloegr, and was adopted directly into English (1200s).

Sly’s story begins in Old Norse: sloegr meant “cunning, crafty.” Cunning, crafty, skilled at deception. It reached English by 1200s as sly. Settled as the English word for someone cunning or deceptive. Today, sly means cunning, crafty, or deceptive in behavior.

1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval sloegr "cunning, crafty", cunning, crafty, skilled at deception.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1200s sly "cunning and deceptive in behavior", settled as the English word for someone cunning or deceptive.