Etymology

Agent n. formed on sla.

PGmc Ancestor

*slaxan-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

slá ‘to smite, strike (etc.)’
(ONP slá (2) (vb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far slá(a), Icel slá, Norw, Sw, Dan slå

OE Cognate

slēan ‘to strike, beat (etc.)’

Phonological and morphological markers

lack of breaking of OE root vowel

Summary category

CC2c

Attestation

The few other <a> forms in MED are largely N/EM.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

WA 967

Bibliography

MED slēer(e (n.), OED slayer (n.1), Bj. 102, de Vries slá (2), Mag. slá (3), Seebold slah-a-, Orel *slaxanan, Kroonen *slahan-, AEW slēan