Where does “смерд” come from?
смерд (Russian) comes from Old Church Slavonic смръдъ, from Proto-Slavic smьrdě̀ti, from Proto-Balto-Slavic smirˀdḗˀtei, from Proto-Indo-European (s)merd- — to bite, to sting.
смерд (Russian): a low-class peasant, smerd; peasant; serf; slave
Definitions
- a low-class peasant, smerd; peasant; serf; slave
Ancestry of “смерд”, step by step
смерд traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old Church Slavonic смръдъ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Church Slavonic | смръдъ | someone who stinks |
| 2 | Proto-Slavic | smьrdě̀ti | to stink |
| 3 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | smirˀdḗˀtei | to stink |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)merd- | to bite, to sting |
via Old East Slavic смьрдъ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old East Slavic | смьрдъ | — |