Where does “smuggling” come from?
smuggling (Swedish) comes from Swedish smuggla, from Low German smuggeln, from Middle Low German smugen, from Proto-West Germanic smeugan, from Proto-Germanic *smeuganą, from Proto-Indo-European (s)mewk-, from Proto-Indo-European smewg- — to slip, glide, slide; to slip, glide; be slimy.
smuggling (Swedish): smuggling
Ancestry of “smuggling”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Swedish | smuggla | to smuggle |
| 2 | Low German | smuggeln | — |
| 3 | Middle Low German | smugen | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | smeugan | to creep, to crawl |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *smeuganą | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mewk- | to let loose, release; to slip away, escape, flee |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | smewg- | to slip, glide, slide; to slip, glide; be slimy |