Where does “smearless” come from?

smearless (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.

smearless (English): Without a smear

Definitions

  1. Without a smear

Ancestry of “smearless”, step by step

smearless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English smear

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsmearTo spread (a substance, especially one that colours or is dirty) across a surface by rubbing
2Middle Englishsmeren
3Old Englishsmerianto laugh at
4Proto-West Germanic*smirwijanto smear
5Proto-Germanicsmirwijanąto smear, anoint
6Proto-Germanic-janąDerives denominatives from nouns and factitives...
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
9Chichewaiyehe, she

via English less

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlessTo a smaller extent or degree; comparative form...
2Middle Englishlesfalse; lying; deceptive; falsehood; a lie
3Old Englishlēasfalse, lax; false, void, loose; devoid of, loose...
4Proto-Germanic*laus
Every word from Chichewa iye
smearless — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer