Where does “smile” come from?
Smile comes from Middle English smilen, from Old Norse smíla, from Proto-Germanic smīlijaną, from Proto-Indo-European smey-.
smile (English): A facial expression comprised by flexing the...
Definitions
- A facial expression comprised by flexing the...
Ancestry of “smile”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | smilen | to smile |
| 2 | Old Norse | smīla | to smile |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | smīlijaną | to smile |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | smēy- | — |
Words derived from “smile”