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Origin and history of sleight

sleight(n.)

an early 14c. alteration of sleahthe "wisdom, prudence," also "cleverness, cunning" (c. 1200), from Old Norse sloegð "cleverness, cunning, slyness," from sloegr (see sly). The meaning "feat or trick requiring quickness and nimbleness of the hands" is from 1590s. Term sleight of hand for the tricks of a juggler is attested from c. 1400. Related: Sleighty.

also from early 14c.

Entries linking to sleight

sly(adj.)

late 12c., sleigh, "skillful, clever, dexterous, wise, prudent," from Old Norse sloegr "cunning, crafty, sly," from Proto-Germanic *slogis (source also of Low German slu "cunning, sly," German schlau), probably from *slak- "to strike, hit" (see slay (v.)), with an original notion of "able to hit." Compare German verschlagen "cunning, crafty, sly," schlagfertig "quick-witted," literally "strike-ready," from schlagen "to strike," but the exact relation is uncertain.

The meaning "insidious, crafty, meanly artful" is from c. 1200. That of "playfully artful, knowing" is from 1764. In Middle English sly words could mean "wise words" or "deceptive language." A non-pejorative use of the word lingered in northern English dialect until 20c. On the sly "in secret" is recorded from 1812. Sly-boots "a seeming Silly, but subtil Fellow" is in the 1700 "Dictionary of the Canting Crew."

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    dexterity
    1520s, "manual skill, skill in using the hands; physical adroitness in general," from French dexterité (16c.), from Latin dexteritatem (nominative dexteritas) "readiness, skillfulness, prosperity," from dexter "skillful," also "right (hand)," from PIE root *deks- "right, on the r
    juggler
    Especial sense "one who practices sleight of hand, one who performs tricks of dexterity" is from c. 1600....
    legerdemain
    early 15c., "conjuring tricks, sleight of hand," from Old French léger de main "quick of hand," literally "light of hand....
    facility
    early 15c., "gentleness, lightness," from Old French facilité "easiness, ease," from Latin facilitatem (nominative facilitas) "easiness, ease, fluency, willingness," from facilis "easy to do," from facere "to do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). First in a medical book: If i
    hand
    Old English hond, hand "the human hand;" also "side, part, direction" (in defining position, to either right or left); also "power, control, possession" (on the notion of the hand's grip or hold), from Proto-Germanic *handuz (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Dutch, German h
    manual
    "of or pertaining to the hand; done, made, or used by hand;" c. 1400, from Latin manualis "of or belonging to the hand; that can be thrown by hand," from manus "hand, strength, power over; armed force; handwriting," from PIE root *man- (2) "hand." The military manual exercise (17
    denomination
    late 14c., denominacioun, "a naming, act of giving a name to," from Old French denominacion "nominating, naming," from Latin denominationem (nominative denominatio) "a calling by anything other than the proper name, metonymy," noun of action from past-participle stem of denominar
    trivia
    "trivialities, bits of information of little consequence," by 1932, from the title of a popular book by U.S.-born British aphorist Logan Pearsall Smith (1865-1946) first published in 1902 but popularized in 1918 (with "More Trivia" following in 1921 and a collected edition includ
    mealy-mouthed
    "afraid to say what one really thinks," 1570s; first element perhaps from Old English milisc "sweet," from Proto-Germanic *meduz "honey" (see mead (n.1)), which suits the sense, but if the Old English word did not survive long enough to be the source of this, perhaps the first el
    protest
    c. 1400, "avowal, pledge, solemn declaration," from Old French protest, from protester, from Latin protestari "declare publicly, testify, protest," from pro- "forth, before" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "in front of, before") + testari "testify," from testis "witness

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