Where does “smear” come from?
Smear comes from Middle English smeren, from Old English smerian, from Proto-Germanic smirwijaną, a verb formed with the suffix -janą from Proto-Indo-European smer-.
smear (English): To spread (a substance, especially one that colours or is dirty) across a surface by rubbing
Definitions
- To spread (a substance, especially one that colours or is dirty) across a surface by rubbing
Ancestry of “smear”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | smeren | — |
| 2 | Old English | smerian | to laugh at |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *smirwijan | to smear |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | smirwijaną | to smear, anoint |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -janą | Derives denominatives from nouns and factitives... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 8 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |