Where does “smiling” come from?

Smiling comes from Middle English smilen, from Old Norse smíla, from Proto-Germanic smīlijaną, from Proto-Indo-European smey-.

smiling (English): That smiles or has a smile; The action of the...

Definitions

  1. That smiles or has a smile; The action of the...

Ancestry of “smiling”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsmileA facial expression comprised by flexing the...
2Middle Englishsmilento smile
3Old Norsesmīlato smile
4Proto-Germanicsmīlijanąto smile
5Proto-Indo-Europeansmēy-—

Words derived from “smiling”

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