Where does “smearable” come from?
smearable (English) comes from English smear, from Middle English smeren, from Old English smerian, from Proto-West Germanic *smirwijan, from Proto-Germanic smirwijaną, from Proto-Germanic -janą, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti, from Proto-Indo-European yé- — he, she.
smearable (English): Capable of being smeared or smudged
Definitions
- Capable of being smeared or smudged
Ancestry of “smearable”, step by step
smearable traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English smear
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | smear | To spread (a substance, especially one that colours or is dirty) across a surface by rubbing |
| 2 | Middle English | smeren | — |
| 3 | Old English | smerian | to laugh at |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *smirwijan | to smear |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | smirwijaną | to smear, anoint |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -janą | Derives denominatives from nouns and factitives... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 9 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via English able
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | able | Easy to use; Suitable; competent; Liable to |
| 2 | Middle English | able | capable, expert, qualified, skilful, competent |
| 3 | Old French | able | able; capable |
| 4 | Latin | habilis | able to have/possess/maintain; having sufficient... |
| 5 | Latin | -ilis | -ile |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -elis | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -elis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |