An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/schlachten

by Friedrich Kluge

schlachten, verb, ‘to slaughter, slay,’ Middle High German slahten, Old High German slahtôn, ‘to kill, slaughter,’ is a derivative of Schlacht (Old High German slahta), with the preservation of its more general meaning; so too Schlächter, masculine, ‘butcher,’ Middle High German slahtœre, Old High German slahtâri, ‘butcher’; allied to English slaughter.