Slovenly
/ˈslʌvənli/noun
Untidy, careless, or dirty in appearance or habits.
Did you know?The word goes back to a Germanic root behind Old English *slōf*/*slæf* ideas of laziness and sluggishness, so the original sting was about moral slackness as much as dirt.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*slub- / *slō-
“A root associated with looseness, slackness, or sluggish movement”
Old English
OE
slāw
“Slow, sluggish, inactive”
Middle English
ME
slouen / slouenly
“Sluggish; lazy; untidy in behavior or manner”
15th Century
English
sloven
“A dirty, untidy, or negligent person”
16th Century
English
slovenly
“Characteristic of a sloven; careless, untidy, or sloven-like”
Modern English
English
slovenly
“Untidy, negligent, or carelessly sloppy in appearance or conduct”