Where does “smánykra” come from?
smánykra (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic smár, from Old Norse smár, from Proto-Germanic smēhaz, from Proto-Indo-European smēk-, from Proto-Indo-European smē- — to rub; smear.
smánykra (Icelandic): small pondweed (Potamogeton pusillus)
Definitions
- small pondweed (Potamogeton pusillus)
Ancestry of “smánykra”, step by step
smánykra traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Icelandic smár
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Icelandic | smár | small |
| 2 | Old Norse | smár | small |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | smēhaz | small; little |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | smēk- | beard; chin |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | smē- | to rub; smear |
via Icelandic nykra
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Icelandic | nykra | pondweed plant of the genus |
| 2 | Icelandic | nykur | a water-demon, the nixie, the nick |
| 3 | Old Norse | nykr | a water-demon, the nixie, the nick; mostly appearing as a grey horse-like creature with inverted hoofs and forward fetlocks that emerges from lakes |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nikwiz- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | neygʷ- | to wash |