Where does “smachten” come from?

smachten (Middle Low German) comes from Proto-Germanic smēhaz, from Proto-Indo-European smēk-, from Proto-Indo-European smē- — to rub; smear.

Ancestry of “smachten”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicsmēhazsmall; little
2Proto-Indo-Europeansmēk-beard; chin
3Proto-Indo-Europeansmē-to rub; smear
Every word from Proto-Indo-European smē- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European smēk- →Every word from Proto-Germanic smēhaz →