Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “smite” come from?

Smite comes from Middle English smiten, from Old English smītan, from Proto-Germanic smītaną, from Proto-Indo-European smeyd-.

smite (English): To hit, to strike; To strike down or kill with...

Definitions

  1. To hit, to strike; To strike down or kill with...

Ancestry of “smite”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishsmitenTo fight, enter combat, attack; To strike, land...
2Old Englishsmiten—
3Proto-Germanicsmitanaz—
4Proto-Germanicsmītanąto cast; sling; hurl; to hit; strike; to smear;...
5Proto-Indo-Europeansmeyd-to smear, whick, strike, rub; to smear, whisk,...

Words derived from “smite”

  • smiteth
  • smitest
  • smiteful
Every word from Proto-Indo-European smeyd- →