Where does “smal” come from?
smal (Middle High German) comes from Old High German smal, from Proto-West Germanic smal, from Proto-Germanic smalaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)mal- — small; little.
Ancestry of “smal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | smal | small |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | smal | small |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | smalaz | small |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mal- | small; little |