Where does “Schmuggelware” come from?
Schmuggelware (German) comes from German wāre, from English Ware, from Middle English ware, from Old English wær, from Proto-West Germanic wār, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.
Schmuggelware (German): contraband
Definitions
- contraband
Ancestry of “Schmuggelware”, step by step
Schmuggelware traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German wāre
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | wāre | goods, merchandise, ware, commodity |
| 2 | English | Ware | A placename |
| 3 | Middle English | ware | Alternative form of veir; Alternative form of... |
| 4 | Old English | wær | cautious, on guard, watching out for something;... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | wār | true, reliable |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wēraz | true; reliable; friendly; kind |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |
via German Schmuggel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Schmuggel | smuggling |
| 2 | Low German | smuggeln | — |
| 3 | Middle Low German | smugen | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | smeugan | to creep, to crawl |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *smeuganą | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mewk- | to let loose, release; to slip away, escape, flee |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | smewg- | to slip, glide, slide; to slip, glide; be slimy |