Where does “smeary” come from?
smeary (English) comes from Middle English smery, from Old English smeoruwiġ, from Old English smeoru, from Proto-West Germanic *smeru, from Proto-Germanic smerwą, from Proto-Celtic smérus, from Proto-Indo-European smérus, from Proto-Indo-European smer- — to fall into thought, remember, care for; to fall...
smeary (English): Having or showing smears; Tending to smear or...
Definitions
- Having or showing smears; Tending to smear or...
Ancestry of “smeary”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | smery | — |
| 2 | Old English | smeoruwiġ | fatty, greasy, unctious, smeary |
| 3 | Old English | smeoru | fat, grease, suet, tallow |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *smeru | grease, butter, fat |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | smerwą | grease, butter, fat |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | smérus | marrow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | smérus | grease |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | smer- | to fall into thought, remember, care for; to fall... |