Where does “smithereens” come from?
Smithereens comes from Irish smidiríní, formed with the diminutive suffix -ín, which derives from Old French -ine, Latin -inus, and Proto-Indo-European -iHnos.
smithereens (English): Fragments or splintered pieces; numerous tiny...
Definitions
- Fragments or splintered pieces; numerous tiny...
Ancestry of “smithereens”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Irish | smidiríní | smithereens |
| 2 | Irish | ín | Alternative form of inn |
| 3 | Irish | inn | — |
Words derived from “smithereens”