Where does “besmell” come from?
besmell (English) comes from English Be, from Middle English be, from Old English bēo, from Proto-West Germanic *bijā, from Proto-Germanic bijō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰī- — to hit, to pierce.
besmell (English): To smell out; sniff about, around, or all over;...
Definitions
- To smell out; sniff about, around, or all over;...
Ancestry of “besmell”, step by step
besmell traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Be
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Be | As an auxiliary verb |
| 2 | Middle English | be | Alternative form of been; Alternative form of... |
| 3 | Old English | bēo | I become, I will be, I am; bee |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *bijā | bee |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bijō | bee |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰī- | to hit, to pierce |
via English smell
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | smell | A sensation, pleasant or unpleasant, detected by... |
| 2 | Middle English | smellen | To sense a smell or smells; To give off an odor;... |
| 3 | Old English | smiellan | to fume, reek |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | smallijan | to glow, burn, smoulder |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | smel- | to burn, smoulder, smoke; tar, pitch; to burn,... |