smite

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*smeyd-“to smear, whisk, strike, rub”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*smītaną“to sling; throw; smear”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*smītan
4. Old English · inherited fromsmītan“to daub, smear, smudge; soil, defile, pollute”
5. Middle English · inherited fromsmiten
6. English todaysmite

From Middle English smiten, from Old English smītan (“to daub, smear, smudge; soil, defile, pollute”), from Proto-West Germanic *smītan, from Proto-Germanic *smītaną (“to sling; throw; smear”), from Proto-Indo-European *smeyd- (“to smear, whisk, strike, rub”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian smiete (“to throw, toss”), West Frisian smite (“to throw”), Dutch smijten (“to fling, hurl, throw”), German Low German smieten (“to throw, chuck, toss”), German schmeißen (“to fling, throw”), Danish smide (“to throw”), Swedish smita (“to run off (to)”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐍃𐌼𐌴𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (bismeitan, “to besmear, anoint”).

Words from the same roots