Where does “smæhen” come from?

smæhen (Middle High German) comes from Old High German smāhen, from Proto-Germanic smēhijaną, from Proto-Indo-European smēyg-, from Proto-Indo-European smē- — to rub; smear.

Ancestry of “smæhen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germansmāhen—
2Proto-Germanicsmēhijanąto belittle, to despise; to reduce; belittle;...
3Proto-Indo-Europeansmēyg-small, delicate, thin; twig, pole; crumb; small,...
4Proto-Indo-Europeansmē-to rub; smear

Words derived from “smæhen”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European smē- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European smēyg- →Every word from Proto-Germanic smēhijaną →
smæhen — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer