Where does “smuggle” come from?
Smuggle comes from Dutch smokkelen, from Middle Dutch smuken, of uncertain origin.
smuggle (English): To import or export, illicitly or by stealth,...
Definitions
- To import or export, illicitly or by stealth,...
Ancestry of “smuggle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | smuckle | — |
| 2 | Dutch | smokkelen | to smuggle, to transport contraband; to cut... |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | *smugen | to creep, to sneak |
| 4 | Old English | smugan | to creep, crawl, move gradually |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | smeugan | to creep, to crawl |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *smeuganą | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mewk- | to let loose, release; to slip away, escape, flee |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | smewg- | to slip, glide, slide; to slip, glide; be slimy |