'slander' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'sclandre', where the root came via Old French 'esclandre'.

'sclandre' (Middle English) changed from Old French 'esclandre', which in turn comes from Latin 'scandalum' and Greek 'skandalon'; over time these forms evolved into the modern English 'slander'.

Initially it referred to a 'scandal' or 'offense' (something that causes stumbling); over time it shifted to the modern sense of a spoken or written statement that defames someone's reputation.