An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/schlachten

by Friedrich Kluge

schlachten, vb., ‘to slaughter, slay,’ MidHG. slahten, OHG. slahtôn, ‘to kill, slaughter,’ is a derivative of Schlacht (OHG. slahta), with the preservation of its more general meaning; so too Schlächter, m., ‘butcher,’ MidHG. slahtœre, OHG. slahtâri, ‘butcher’; allied to E. slaughter.