Where does “smotheringly” come from?
smotheringly (English) comes from English smothering, from Middle English smorþering, from Middle English smorther, from Old English smorþor, from Old English -þor, from Proto-West Germanic -þr, from Proto-Germanic -þrą, from Proto-Indo-European *-trom.
smotheringly (English): In a smothering manner; oppressively
Definitions
- In a smothering manner; oppressively
Ancestry of “smotheringly”, step by step
smotheringly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English smothering
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | smothering | present participle of smother; The act by which... |
| 2 | Middle English | smorþering | smoldering, producing noxious smoke |
| 3 | Middle English | smorther | a suffocating vapour, dense smoke |
| 4 | Old English | smorþor | smoke |
| 5 | Old English | -þor | instrumental suffix creating neuter nouns from... |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -þr | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument; Forms... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -þrą | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | *-trom | — |