schlau
Meaning
- clever in a way that enables one to achieve one's goals; slightly sly or cunning (but not usually implying any evil intentions)
- (informal) bright, intelligent, clever (with no such overtone at all)
Concepts
Synonyms
schlaukopf
pffifig
schurkisch
ausgebufft
ausgetüftelt
mit allen Wassern gewaschen
abgerichtet
Translations
astuto
kurnaz
rusé
gewiekst
furbo
astutoFrequency
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ʃlaʊ̯/
Etymology
In summary
Borrowed from Middle Low German slû, whence probably also Dutch sluw. Further origin uncertain. Probably from a Proto-Germanic *slūhaz (“sneaking, creeping”), which seems to trace back to a Proto-Indo-European *(s)lewǵ- (“to crawl, slide”) (albeit without any known extra-Germanic cognates), if the original sense referred to sneaking and sliding. Related to Dutch sluiken (“to creep, smuggle, act clandestinely”). In spite of the near-identity in meaning and form, English sly is in all likelihood not related.
Notes
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