An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Schlitten

by Friedrich Kluge

Schlitten, m., ‘sleigh, sledge,’ from the equiv. MidHG. slitte, usually slite, m., OHG. slita, f., slito, m.; comp. Du. slede, MidE. slede, E. sled, sledge, OIc. sleðe, m., ‘sleigh.’ From HG. is derived Ital. slitta, ‘sleigh.’ The Teut. cognates are based on a Teut. root slī̆d, ‘to slide,’ which is preserved in the E. vb. and subst. slide; comp. the equiv. MidHG. (MidG.) slîten, whence ModHG. (dial.) schlittern, ‘to slide (on ice),’ AS. slîdan. Pre-Teut. slī̆dh, ‘to slide,’ is also attested by Lith. slidus, ‘smooth’ (of ice), slýsti (root slyd), ‘to slide,’ Lett. slidas, ‘skates,’ and Sans. sridh, ‘to stumble’; the root seems to have been often used in primit. Teut. times, and perhaps still earlier, for ‘to slide (on ice).’ —