Where does “smellen” come from?

smellen (Middle English) comes from Old English smiellan, from Proto-West Germanic smallijan, from Proto-Indo-European smel- — to burn, smoulder, smoke; tar, pitch; to burn,...

smellen (Middle English): To sense a smell or smells; To give off an odor;...

Definitions

  1. To sense a smell or smells; To give off an odor;...

Ancestry of “smellen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishsmiellanto fume, reek
2Proto-West Germanicsmallijanto glow, burn, smoulder
3Proto-Indo-Europeansmel-to burn, smoulder, smoke; tar, pitch; to burn,...

Words derived from “smellen”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European smel- →Every word from Proto-West Germanic smallijan →Every word from Old English smiellan →