Where does “smerte” come from?
smerte (Middle English) comes from Middle English smerten, from Old English smeortan, from Proto-Germanic smertaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)merd- — to bite, to sting.
smerte (Middle English): painful, hurtful, punishing, injurious;...
Definitions
- painful, hurtful, punishing, injurious;...
Ancestry of “smerte”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | smerten | To smart, injure, cause pain; To smart, hurt, be... |
| 2 | Old English | smeortan | to smart; hurt |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | smertaną | to hurt |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)merd- | to bite, to sting |