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Origin and history of silt

silt(n.)

mid-15c., "fine sand or sediment deposited by seawater," probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Norwegian and Danish sylt "salt marsh," Old Swedish sylta "mud"), or from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch silte, sulte "salt marsh, brine," from Proto-Germanic *sultjo- (source also of Old English sealt, Old High German sulza "saltwater," German Sulze "brine"), from PIE root *sal- "salt."

The general sense of "mud or fine soil from running or standing water" is by 1690s.

silt(v.)

1799, intransitive, "to become choked with silt" (of river channels, harbors, etc.), usually with up (adv.); by 1825 in the intransitive sense of "choke, fill, or obstruct with silt;" from silt (n.). Related: Silted; silting.

also from 1799

Entries linking to silt

up(adv., prep.)

"to or toward a point or place higher than another," Old English up, uppe, from Proto-Germanic *upp- "up," from PIE root *upo "under," also "up from under," hence also "over." As a preposition, from late Old English as "down onto, above and touching, sitting on, at the summit of;" from c. 1200 as "to a higher place."

Often used elliptically for go up, come up, rise up, etc. To be up to (something) "engaged in some activity" (typically reprehensible) is by 1837. Slang up the river "in jail" is recorded by 1891, originally in reference to Sing Sing, which is up the Hudson from New York City. To drive someone up the wall (1951) is from the notion of the behavior of lunatics or caged animals. Insulting retort up yours (scil. ass (n.2)) is attested by late 19c.

From the same Proto-Germanic source are Old Frisian, Old Saxon up "up, upward," Old Norse upp; Danish, Dutch op; Old High German uf, German auf "up;" Gothic iup "up, upward," uf "on, upon, under;" Old High German oba, German ob "over, above, on, upon."

*sal-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "salt."

It might form all or part of: hali-; halide; halieutic; halite; halo-; halogen; sal; salad; salami; salary; saline; salmagundi; salsa; salsify; salt; salt-cellar; saltpeter; sauce; sausage; silt; souse.

It might also be the source of: Greek hals "salt, sea;" Latin sal, Old Church Slavonic soli, Old Irish salann, Welsh halen, Old English sealt, German Salz "salt."

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    Harlem
    founded 1658 and originally named Nieuw Haarlem for Haarlem in Netherlands, which probably is from Dutch haar "height" + lem "silt...
    silo
    1835, "a pit in the ground or a cavity in rock for storage of green crops," often in reference to other countries, and the word in English is explained at first, from Spanish silo, traditionally derived from Latin sirum (nominative sirus), from Greek siros "a pit to keep corn in.
    soil
    early 13c., "to defile or pollute with sin," from Old French soillier "to splatter with mud, to foul or make dirty," originally "to wallow" (12c., Modern French souillier), from souil "tub, wild boar's wallow, pigsty," which is from Latin solium "tub for bathing; seat" (from PIE
    clog
    early 14c., clogge "a lump of wood," origin unknown. Also used in Middle English of large pieces of jewelry and large testicles. Compare Norwegian klugu "knotty log of wood." Meaning "anything that impedes action" is from 1520s, via the notion of "block or mass constituting an en
    choke
    c. 1300, transitive, "to stop the breath by preventing air from entering the windpipe;" late 14c., "to make to suffocate, deprive of the power of drawing breath," of persons as well as swallowed objects; a shortening of acheken (c. 1200), from Old English aceocian "to choke, suff
    virtual
    late 14c., "influencing by physical virtues or capabilities, effective with respect to inherent natural qualities," from Medieval Latin virtualis, from Latin virtus "excellence, potency, efficacy," literally "manliness, manhood" (see virtue). The meaning "being something in essen
    perineum
    also perinaeum, "the region of the body between the anus and the genital organs," early 15c., from Medieval Latin perinaeon, Late Latin perineum, from Greek perinaion, perinaios, in medical writing, "space between the anus and the scrotum," also, in plural, "male genitals," said
    fluke
    "flat end of an arm of an anchor," 1560s, perhaps from fluke (n.3) "flatfish," on resemblance of shape, or from Low German flügel "wing." Transferred meaning "whale's tail" (in plural, flukes) is by 1725, so called from resemblance...."lucky stroke, chance hit," 1857, also flook,
    blunt
    c. 1200, blunt, blont, "dull, obtuse" (of persons), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from or related to Old Norse blundra "to shut one's eyes" (see blunder (v.)). Or from Old English blinnan (past participle blon) "to stop, cease, come to an end." Of tools or weapons, "not sharp, wit
    avalanche
    "fall or slide of a mass of snow on a mountain slope," 1763, from French avalanche (17c.), from Romansch (Swiss) avalantze "descent," altered (by metathesis of -l- and -v-, probably influenced by Old French avaler "to descend, go down," avalage "descent, waterfall, avalanche") fr

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