Where does “smug” come from?
Smug comes from Middle Low German smuk, from Old Saxon smuk, from Proto-Germanic smukkaz and smukkōną, ultimately from Proto-Germanic smuknéh₂-.
smug (English): Irritatingly pleased with oneself, offensively...
Definitions
- Irritatingly pleased with oneself, offensively...
Ancestry of “smug”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low German | smuk | — |
| 2 | Middle Low German | smuk | lithe, neat; lithe, delicate, neat, trim;... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | smeugan | to creep, to crawl |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *smeuganą | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mewk- | to let loose, release; to slip away, escape, flee |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | smewg- | to slip, glide, slide; to slip, glide; be slimy |