Where does “mensensmokkel” come from?
mensensmokkel (Dutch) comes from Dutch smokkel, from Dutch smokkelen, from Middle Dutch *smugen, from Old English smugan, from Proto-West Germanic smeugan, from Proto-Germanic *smeuganą, from Proto-Indo-European (s)mewk-, from Proto-Indo-European smewg- — to slip, glide, slide; to slip, glide; be slimy.
mensensmokkel (Dutch): people smuggling
Ancestry of “mensensmokkel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | smokkel | smuggling |
| 2 | Dutch | smokkelen | to smuggle, to transport contraband; to cut... |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | *smugen | — |
| 4 | Old English | smugan | to creep, crawl, move gradually |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | smeugan | to creep, to crawl |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *smeuganą | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mewk- | to let loose, release; to slip away, escape, flee |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | smewg- | to slip, glide, slide; to slip, glide; be slimy |