Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “smītan” come from?

smītan (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic *smītan, from Proto-Germanic smītaną, from Proto-Indo-European smeyd- — to smear, whick, strike, rub; to smear, whisk,...

smītan (Old English): to daub, smear, smudge; soil, defile, pollute

Definitions

  1. to daub, smear, smudge; soil, defile, pollute

Ancestry of “smītan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanic*smītan—
2Proto-Germanicsmītanąto cast; sling; hurl; to hit; strike; to smear;...
3Proto-Indo-Europeansmeyd-to smear, whick, strike, rub; to smear, whisk,...

Words derived from “smītan”

  • smitten
  • smite
  • smidgen
  • smiteth
  • smitest
  • unsmitten
  • smittenness
  • smiteful
  • smiten
Every word from Proto-Indo-European smeyd- →