Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “smerten” come from?

smerten (Middle English) comes from Old English smeortan, from Proto-Germanic smertaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)merd- — to bite, to sting.

smerten (Middle English): To smart, injure, cause pain; To smart, hurt, be...

Definitions

  1. To smart, injure, cause pain; To smart, hurt, be...

Ancestry of “smerten”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishsmeortanto smart; hurt
2Proto-Germanicsmertanąto hurt
3Proto-Indo-European(s)merd-to bite, to sting

Words derived from “smerten”

  • smart
  • smartly
  • smarting
  • outsmart
  • smartphone
  • smarty
  • smarten
  • smartish
  • smartweed
  • supersmart
  • streetsmart
  • smartingly
  • smartypants
  • smartboard
  • smartmouthed
  • ultrasmart
  • smartmouth
  • unsmart
  • smarteth
  • nonsmart
  • arsesmart
  • quicksmart
  • smartarsed
  • outsmarter
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)merd- →