Where does “smerian” come from?
smerian (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic *smirwijan, from Proto-Germanic smirwijaną, from Proto-Germanic -janą, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti, from Proto-Indo-European yé-, from Chichewa iye — he, she.
smerian (Old English): to laugh at
Definitions
- to laugh at
Ancestry of “smerian”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | *smirwijan | to smear |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | smirwijaną | to smear, anoint |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | -janą | Derives denominatives from nouns and factitives... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 6 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |