Where does “smuggling” come from?
Smuggling derives from the English verb smuggle, which comes from Dutch smokkelen and Middle Dutch smuken, ultimately tracing back through Germanic roots with an uncertain original meaning.
smuggling (English): present participle of smuggle; An act of...
Definitions
- present participle of smuggle; An act of...
Ancestry of “smuggling”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | smuggle | To import or export, illicitly or by stealth,... |
| 2 | English | smuckle | — |
| 3 | Dutch | smokkelen | to smuggle, to transport contraband; to cut... |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | *smugen | to creep, to sneak |
| 5 | Old English | smugan | to creep, crawl, move gradually |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | smeugan | to creep, to crawl |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *smeuganą | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mewk- | to let loose, release; to slip away, escape, flee |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | smewg- | to slip, glide, slide; to slip, glide; be slimy |