Slaughter
/ˈslɔːtər/noun
The killing of a large number of people or animals, especially in a violent way.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Old Norse and Old English forms tied to striking and killing, showing how Germanic languages often built grim words from the physical act of hitting.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sleg-
“to hit, strike”
Old Norse
ON
slátr
“slaughtered animal; butchered meat”
Old English
OE
slæht / slieht
“killing, massacre; act of striking”
Middle English
ME
slaughtre
“killing of animals or people, massacre”
Modern English
English
slaughter
“the killing of animals or people, especially on a large scale”