Where does “smite” come from?
smite (West Frisian) comes from Old Frisian smīta, from Proto-West Germanic *smītan, from Proto-Germanic smītaną, from Proto-Indo-European smeyd- — to smear, whick, strike, rub; to smear, whisk,...
smite (West Frisian): to throw; to fling
Ancestry of “smite”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Frisian | smīta | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *smītan | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | smītaną | to cast; sling; hurl; to hit; strike; to smear;... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | smeyd- | to smear, whick, strike, rub; to smear, whisk,... |