Etymology
While the ME n. continues an OE compound
manslieht,
manslyht,
mansliht 'murder', the common occurrence of forms without
i-mutation in ME has been attributed to Scandinavian influence (so
OED3). Other reflexes of PGmc
*slaxt- in NWGmc do not show
i-mutation (cp. the same compound OFris
mannslachta,
monnslachta, MDu
manslacht, OS
manslahta, OHG
manslahta,
manslaht; and OIcel
sláttr 'mowing, smiting' (< earlier
*slaht-)). The vocalism of the OE can thus be interpreted (as
OED3 notes) either as resulting from a variant
i-stem (so Orel), or perhaps more likely, altered by analogy with
i-mutated
slieht, slyht etc. 'slaughter, murder'. ON influence on the vocalism is therefore plausible, but an un-mutated native etymon is perhaps more likely. Influence from ME
slaʒtir (n.) 'murder', more securely derived from ON (cp. also ME
manslatir (n.)), is also possible.
PGmc Ancestor
*slaxt-
Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)
sláttr 'mowing, smiting'
(ONP sláttr (sb.))
Other Scandinavian Reflexes
Far sláttur, Icel sláttur, Norw slått, Dan slæt, Sw slåter, Sw dial slått
OE Cognate
Phonological and morphological markers
Summary category
CCC2a