Where does “Smolensk” come from?

Smolensk is an English name for the Russian city Смоле́нск, whose origin is uncertain.

Ancestry of “Smolensk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1RussianСмоле́нск—
2RussianСмо́льняSmolnya
3Russianсмола́tar; resin, tar; resin, pitch, tar
4Old East Slavicсмола—
5Proto-Slavicsmolàblack pitch
Every word from Proto-Slavic smolà →Every word from Old East Slavic смола →Every word from Russian смола́ →