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

  1. A facial expression comprised by flexing the...

Ancestry of “smile”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsmilento smile
2Old Norsesmīlato smile
3Proto-Germanicsmīlijanąto smile
4Proto-Indo-Europeansmēy-—

Words derived from “smile”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European smēy- →Every word from Proto-Germanic smīlijaną →Every word from Old Norse smīla →