schlau

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)leuǵ- (“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”).^[1]

In spite of the near-identity in meaning and form, English sly is in all likelihood not related.

• IPA^(key): /ʃlaʊ̯/
• Rhymes: -aʊ̯

• Audio:

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schlau (strong nominative masculine singular schlauer, comparative schlauer, superlative am schlauesten or am schlausten)

1. clever in a way that enables one to achieve one's goals; slightly sly or cunning (but not usually implying any evil intentions)

   Synonyms: gewieft, pfiffig, clever, ausgebufft

2. (chiefly informal) bright, intelligent, clever (with no such overtone at all)

   Synonyms: klug, gescheit, intelligent

• Schläue
• Schlaufuchs
• unschlau

• “schlau” in Duden online
• “schlau” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• Friedrich Kluge (1883) “schlau”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891

From Middle Low German slû, probably from a Proto-Germanic *slūhaz (“sneaking, creeping”), perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leuǵ (“to crawl, slide”), if the original sense referred to sneaking and sliding.^[1]

• IPA^(key): /ʃlaʊ̯/

schlau (comparative schlauer, superlative schlauest)

1. clever

• Online Hunsrik Dictionary

From Middle Low German slû, probably from a Proto-Germanic *slūhaz (“sneaking, creeping”), perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leuǵ (“to crawl, slide”), if the original sense referred to sneaking and sliding.^[1]

schlau

1. sly, wily