SLAIK, _vb._ to smooth, to lick. L.L., 457, 2173. O.N. _slæikja_, to lick, Norse _sleikja_, Dan. _slikke_, O. Sw. _slekia_, Sw. dial. _släkja_. The Eng. word _slick_, with a short vowel, corresponds exactly to the Dan. word, but may be native. Cp. M.L.G. _slicken_. _Slikke_ in Dan. may be a loan-word from L.G. The Sco. _slaik_ corresponds in every way to the O.N., and is certainly a loan-word proved by quality and quantity of vowel. SLAK, _sb._ a pit, a hollow in the ground, hollow place. Bruce, XIV, 536; R.R., 769. O.N. _slakki_, a slope, Norse _slakke_, Dan. _slank_. Exhibits W. Scand. assimilation of _nk_ to _kk_. Cu. _slack_, a shallow dell (Dickinson), Kent, _slank_. SLE, _adj._ experienced, skillful. Bruce, XVI, 355; XVII, 44. O.N. _slægr_, O. Ic. _slægr_, Eng. _sly_. See Skeat. SLEEK, _adj._ neat, prancing, said of a horse. Burns, 7, 1, 1. O.N. _slikr_, smooth. _Sleikit_, smooth, Dunbar, 567, 38; Burns, 117, 114. See Skeat, under _sleek_, _slick_. SLEUTH, _sb._ track. Bruce, VII, 1 and 44. O.N. _slóð_, track, trail. Cp. Norse _slod_, _slode_. SLOKE, _vb._ to quench. Isaiah, I, 2, 3; and 49, 26. O.N. _slökva_, to quench. O. Ic. _slækva_, Norse _slökka_, id. The word does not show the Scand. umlaut _o_ > _ö_. Cu. _sleck_ has further developed the umlaut _ö_ to _e_. Cp. O. Ic. _æ_ < O. Nh. _æ_. All such words in Norse exhibit the intermediate stage _ö_ up to the present time. In Ic. the _ö_ developed to _æ_, in the first half of the 13th century. (See Noreen P.G.(2)I, 529.) In later O. Nhb. also _æ_ > _e_. SLOKEN, SLOKYN, _vb._ to quench, to satisfy. Dunbar, T.M.W., 283; K.Q., 42; M.W., 116, 35. O.N. _slokna_, Norse _slokna_, inchoative of _slökva_. It may, however, be an infinitive in _en_ from _slökkva_, see _slock_. SLOKNING, _sb._ the act of quenching, also the power of quenching. Douglas, II, 26, heading of Chapter XII; Montg. C. and S., 1377. Pr. p., see _sloken_. Cp. O.N. _slokning_, Dan. _slukning_. SLONK, _sb._ a ditch, a depression in the land, also a slope on the mountain side. Winyet, II, 19, 5; Wallace, III, 4. Dan. _slank_, a depression in the land, a hollow, O.N. _slakki_, Norse _slakke_. The non-assimilation proves E. Scand. source. Cp. Sw. dial. _slakk_ adj. bending, e.g., "bakken jär no na slakk," the hill slopes a great deal, again a W. Scand. form in Sw. dial. The word is probably related to Eng. _slack_, loose, lax, Dan. _slak_, Norse _slāk_. SLUT, _sb._ a slattern, an untidy woman. Dunbar, 119, 71. O.N., O. Ic. _slöttr_. See Skeat.